On November 11, Lonzo Ball became the youngest player in NBA history to register a triple-double. The Los Angeles Lakers rookie accomplished the feat at 20 years old and 15 days, beating the previous record set by LeBron James (20 years old and 20 days). Unfortunately, Ball's performance was not enough as the Lakers fell to the Milwaukee Bucks on the road, 98-90. Following the game, Ball sounded dissatisfied even if he had a stellar outing.
"I really don’t care. I just wanted to win tonight. I thought we put ourselves in a good position to get it, but it didn’t happen," Lonzo Ball said according to the Associated Press.
The statement by the Los Angeles Lakers newcomer suggests that he is not looking for individual accolades, what he truly wants is for them to succeed.
Ball and the Lakers dropped to 5-8 after the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. It was their third straight defeat. Before bowing down to the Bucks, they got beaten by the Boston Celtics (107-96) and the Washington Wizards (111-95).
The triple-double
Lonzo Ball may be unhappy because the Los Angeles Lakers came up short again. But he must see the positives and move forward, especially now that he has momentum after a record-setting game.
Ball completed his triple-double versus the Milwaukee Bucks with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. The former Chino Hills and UCLA standout also had three steals and four blocks.
Another notable aspect of his performance was his shooting. The Lakers rookie had one of his best shooting nights as he went 7-of-12 from the field, which included 3-of-5 from three-point territory.
Supporting cast
Lonzo Ball is not the only player from the Los Angeles Lakers who showed excellence in the road loss. Helping Ball were Kyle Kuzma, Julius Randle, and Brook Lopez.
Kuzma led all scorers for the Lakers with 21 points. Ball's fellow rookie had a double-double as he grabbed 11 boards. Randle contributed 17 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while Lopez added 10 points.
Road trip finale
Lonzo Ball and the Los Angeles Lakers will close a four-game road trip on November 13. They are heading to Arizona to take on a familiar foe, the Phoenix Suns.
Ball and the Lakers already won over the Suns this season. On October 20, they edged the Suns, 132-130. In that contest, Ball exploded for a career-high 29 points. If he could repeat that or do better, the Lakers have a chance to close their road trip with a victory.
