The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers meeting for the first time this season was a subplot to it being the first matchup between Stephen Curry and Lonzo Ball. The players have been intertwined since last February when LaVar Ball deemed his son the superior talent.
Curry declined to offer any sort of retort at the time, and he maintained that stance in the time leading up to Wednesday’s game. In addition to not responding to LaVar, the two-time MVP took the high road whenever questioned about Lonzo, his struggles and scrutiny faced.
As has been the case for several Lakers home games this season, LaVar was among those in attendance at Staples Center. Naturally, he was reminded of the proclamation from his interview while Lonzo was still at UCLA.
And unsurprisingly, LaVar restated the belief he has in his son, via Sports Illustrated’s The Crossover:
Excuse me Lavar what do you think about Ste… pic.twitter.com/nyHWgrXRlO
— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) November 30, 2017
Even the critical words from LaVar, he and Curry enjoyed a friendly moment following Wednesday’s game, per Chris Palmer:
Steph stopped to talk to LaVar for several minutes after the game. Kind words all around. Hugged it out. Steph then introduced himself to Melo.
— Chris Martin Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) November 30, 2017
Ball outplayed Curry through the first three quarters on Wednesday, but the two-time MVP began to shake off a rough shooting night in the fourth and he caught fire in overtime. Curry and Klay Thompson combined for a 9-2 run late in the fourth quarter to give the Warriors a five-point lead they eventually squandered.
Curry then opened overtime with back-to-back 3-pointers and went on to score 13 of the Warriors’ 18 points in the five-minute period. His off shooting night can be attributed to a right hand contusion that led to Curry seeking advice from Kobe Bryant on how to play through injury.
Ball scored 15 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 from behind the arc. He added 10 assists and two rebounds while limiting his turnovers to just two.
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