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Lonzo Ball Suffers Ankle Injury in Loss vs. Nuggets, Plans to Play vs. Pacers
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball suffered an ankle injury in his team's 117-85 defeat to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin.
Spectrum SportsNet's Mike Trudell reported during the game that Ball sprained his left ankle. According to McMenamin, Ball underwent X-rays on the ankle that were negative, and he's considered day-to-day.
"I mean, I wanted to play," the guard said, according to ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk. "Coaching staff thought it was better for me to take a rest, so that's what I did. ... Gave it a go, and I guess I wasn't moving good enough for them, so they just pulled me."
Youngmisuk noted Ball was "asked about his status for the Lakers' next game [against the Indiana Pacers and] Ball said, 'I'm playing Thursday, yeah.'"
Ball had a difficult rookie season in Los Angeles last year. He averaged 10.2 points, 7.2 assists and 6.9 rebounds, but he shot 36 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from three-point range. He also missed the Lakers' final eight games before undergoing knee surgery in the offseason.
Ball's per-game numbers have dropped off this season following the arrival of LeBron James and Rajon Rondo. He's averaging 8.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists, but he's shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from deep, both of which are marked improvements.
Ball suffered a minor ankle injury earlier in the year that didn't force him out for an extended period. With Rondo also out with a hand injury, the Lakers could be woefully thin at the point if Ball is sidelined again.