Lonzo Ball Drops 19, Lakers Fall to Clippers Without Injured LeBron James
The Los Angeles Lakers continue to miss LeBron James as the Los Angeles Clippers handed their intra-city rivals a second straight loss without their star.
Lou Williams scored a season-high 36 points to help the Clippers earn a 118-107 "road" win Friday night at Staples Center. A 22-0 run beginning late in the third quarter helped the Clippers take the lead and eventually pull away for the victory.
They remain ahead of the Lakers in the standings (and fourth in the Western Conference) after improving to 21-14 on the season.
Though Kyle Kuzma took on a bigger offensive role with James, Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee unavailable, his 24 points weren't enough to help the Lakers (20-16) pull out a win.
LeBron Injury Will Help Lakers In Long Run
In most situations, an injury to a team's best player is the worst-case scenario. The losses do hurt, especially with the Western Conference so competitive (the Lakers are the No. 7 seed after the defeat).
However, the Purple and Gold can benefit from James' absence.
The 14-time All-Star has no set timetable to return from his groin strain, and he is expected to at least miss "several games," per Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. The team is likely to stay cautious with him, only bringing him back on the court when he is 100 percent.
James also didn't seem like he was in too much of a rush to return when he strolled into the arena Friday with a glass of wine in his hand.
When James is out, the Lakers' young players, such as Kuzma (age 23), Lonzo Ball (21) and Brandon Ingram (21), will need to increase their production to keep the team competitive. They have shown some improvement throughout the year, but this is sink-or-swim time.
Kuzma showcased his scoring ability against the Clippers, keeping the Lakers in the game with a 12-point first half:
Ball struggled with his shot while finishing 7-of-16 from the field, but it was a positive that he was more aggressive after some quiet games earlier in the year. He ended up with 19 points, six assists and five rebounds.
The second-year point guard also showed his confidence remains high:
Ingram added 17 points and seven rebounds.
Kuzma, Ball and Ingram all scored at least 20 points in Thursday's one-point loss to the Sacramento Kings—Kuzma had 33, while Ball nearly recorded a triple-double—and they showed this team is more than just LeBron.
James is one of the best players in the NBA—if not the best—and will put up numbers throughout the year and into the playoffs. The question was whether he would have to do it mostly by himself, like with the Cleveland Cavaliers the past few seasons.
The last two games provide encouragement that the four-time MVP will have plenty of help. However, they also serve as a wake-up call. In both cases, the Lakers had a chance to win in the fourth quarter but couldn't close it out.
The players will hopefully learn from their mistakes.
Even though the Lakers had tough back-to-back losses, the extra reps for their young players could make a huge difference for a team with high expectations this year. If they can prove they are viable options who can shoulder the load, it will put more pressure on opponents as the season continues and make the Lakers an even bigger threat.
What's Next?
The Clippers have a quick turnaround before hosting the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night. The Lakers will take on the Sacramento Kings on Sunday at Staples Center.
