Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram admitted that he could have made better shot selections against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ingram finished the game with 10 points on a not-so-great 4-for-15 shooting from the field. The Duke product made three two-pointers and went just 1-of-5 from beyond the arc. Ingram came into the game confident and eager to make a difference on the floor. Though some of his shots weren't falling, the 20-year-old wasn't backing down as he continued to shoot the ball. Yet, the rising star failed to find his range and get in the zone.
The Timberwolves ended up beating the Lakers on the opening night of the NBA preseason. The Timberwolves handed a 108-99 loss to the Lakers at the Honda Center in Anaheim. The Timberwolves seemed to be cruising to a dominant win as they had a 20-point lead at one point during the third quarter. But, the Lakers resisted and managed to reduce the deficit to just eight points at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Yet, the Purple and Gold failed to complete their comeback.
''I mean, like I said...I'm my biggest critic. Of course, I made a couple of shots. I think I was maybe 4-for-15 from the field. I think I shot a little bit more three-pointers than I wanted to. Me being so tall...I feel like I'm open so many times," Ingram said post-game, in an interview posted by Lakers Nation.
Ingram to take notes
Ingram is now hoping to bounce back on Monday. The Lakers are set to meet the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of their preseason campaign. The two teams are scheduled to meet in back-to-back preseason games next week. The Nuggets surprised the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena in their preseason opener.
Ingram defends Ball
Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball had a solid game against the Timberwolves. Ball, 19, scored just five points on 2-for-9 shooting from the field. Yet, he was close to collecting a double-double, dishing out eight assists and grabbing seven rebounds. Lakers coach Luke Walton gave Ball a game-high 36 minutes of action.
Ingram insisted that Ball played well on Saturday. Ball was pushing the ball and tried to put his teammates in a good position to score. The Lakers were hoping to get that from the athletic Ball when they drafted him at No. 2 in the last NBA draft.
"Yeah, I think he did a good job. I mean, he passed the ball well. Of course, he had a couple of turnovers. But, it's his first preseason game. It's a process man," Ingram said of Ball.
