The Las Vegas Summer League has not been kind to the Los Angeles Lakers in regards to injuries. Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart all missed Monday’s game due to injuries suffered over the weekend.
While Ingram is out for the remainder of Summer League, the status of Ball, Hart, and Kuzma remained unclear. Both Ball and Kuzma participated in a team workout on Tuesday while Hart got treatment on his sprained ankle.
According to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell, both Ball and Kuzma will play in tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers:
Lonzo Ball (sore right groin) and Kyle Kuzma (cramps) are available tonight. Josh Hart and P.J. Dozier are both out w/sprained left ankles.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) July 12, 2017
This is good news for the Lakers and the players as Ball and Kuzma had been two of their best players in Summer League. With the playoffs now set to start, Ball still has the chance to make good on his goal of bringing home the Summer League championship.
Ball bounced back from an awful Summer League debut to drop a triple-double on Saturday against the Boston Celtics. In that same game, Kuzma was engaged in a showdown with Celtics top pick Jayson Tatum. Kuzma finished that game with 31 points and showed why the Lakers were ecstatic to take him at no. 27 overall.
It is unfortunate that Hart and Dozier won’t be able to play due to sprained ankles. Hart has had a solid showing, bringing defense, solid shooting, and great finishing. Dozier is an undrafted rookie who was hoping to catch on and had shown some flashes in his brief time on the court.
Should the Lakers defeat the Sixers, they will be right back in action on Thursday to face the Cleveland Cavaliers.