Much of talk following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 103-93 victory over the Dallas Mavericks was centered around Lonzo Ball, who left the game in the third quarter with a knee contusion and will undergo an MRI. However, just as important was the return of Brandon Ingram, who had missed the previous 12 games with a groin strain.
Ingram was on a minutes restriction, playing just 23 on the night, but finished with a solid line of 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. Of course, not having played in nearly a month, it took some time for Ingram to get back in the game flow.
“I got a little rust off tonight, just trying to be aggressive,” Ingram said following the win. “I’ve got to slow down a little bit, but I was anxious to get out there and play with the guys.”
There were definitely some timing issues as Ingram was getting his rhythm back and he did commit three turnovers. “I think I was trying to go too fast, I was a little anxious to get to the basket or get my shots up,” he explained.
“It was good to get my first game out of the way. I’ll try not to have another like that.”
While he was somewhat critical of his performance, Ingram’s teammates were certainly happy to see him on the court again.
“It was nice having him back. It was his first game back and he was very productive already. We missed him a lot,” Lonzo Ball said. Likewise, Kyle Kuzma was excited for the return of his forgotten teammate.
“I didn’t even know he was on the team still,” Kuzma joked. “It was good. Good to get him back. He’s a playmaker that we needed down the stretch of games that he missed. Wished he had a little more conditioning, but he’ll be alright.”
The focus was rightfully on his performance, but as usual, Ingram only cared about the result in the end.
“We got a win, so it felt good.”
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