Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball recorded his second triple-double on November 19 in a 127-109 victory over the Denver Nuggets. The young Lakers point guard completed the feat by tallying 11 points, a career-high 16 rebounds, and 11 assists. However, that impressive stat line is in question.
Uproxx reported that Mo Dakhil thought Lonzo Ball did not have 11 dimes in the Lakers win. Dakhil, who founded The Jump Ball, worked as video coordinator for the Los Angeles Clippers and the San Antonio Spurs.
In a tweet, Dakhil suggested that the NBA must speak with the scorekeepers of the Lakers.
He believes that these scorers gave Lonzo Ball two more assists against Denver. Dakhil provided a video to support his claim.
I think the NBA needs to have a discussion with the Lakers' scorers. These are not assists. Lonzo had a good game regardless and I think he'll be a good player but they shouldn't be padding his stats. pic.twitter.com/hFwG84GWUT
— Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) November 20, 2017
In the first part of the clip, Lonzo Ball was seen throwing a pass to Lakers sixth man Jordan Clarkson. After Clarkson received the ball, he dribbled twice before going for a reverse layup. The second play featured Ball running towards the basket before throwing the rock out to Kyle Kuzma, who was beyond the arc.
Similar to Clarkson, Kuzma dribbled twice as he got closer to the rim for a floater.
Better triple-double
Despite the controversy, it seems Lonzo Ball likes his second triple-double better than the first one. Perhaps the reason why is that the Lakers ended up on top.
When Lonzo Ball had his first triple-double, the Lakers were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Following that game, the former Chino Hills and UCLA phenomenon made it clear that his focus is on winning.
Third time's the charm?
Another Lonzo Ball triple-double might be on the way. On November 21, the Lakers are set to close a four-game homestand. They are going to host the Chicago Bulls. It is too early to say, but Ball may have another triple-double considering that the Bulls are among the worst performers in the NBA at the moment.
Chicago is currently second to last in the Eastern Conference with its 3-11 record. The only organization below it is the Atlanta Hawks, who are at 3-14.
Lonzo Ball and the Lakers are aiming to finish the homestand at .500. They experienced back-to-back heartbreaking losses to the Philadelphia 76ers (115-109) and the Phoenix Suns (122-113), ahead of their morale-boosting win versus the Nuggets. Ball and the Lakers currently hold a 7-10 record for 10th place in the Western Conference. They are just half a game away from possibly barging into the top eight in the West.
