Lakers' Lonzo Ball Posts Triple-Double, This Time In Adidas
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Lonzo Ball had another strong performance in the NBA Summer League, this time in another brand of footwear.
Ball's Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 94-83 in tournament play on Thursday. A night after a 36-point, eight-rebound, 11-assist performance, Ball had 16 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds against Cleveland.
Thursday's winners advanced to the quarterfinal round on Saturday with Portland playing San Antonio, Miami facing Memphis, Dallas against Boston and the Lakers meeting Brooklyn.
Ball created quite a sensation Wednesday when, instead of his own ZO2 shoes, which sell for $495 under his family's independent fashion line Big Baller Brand, he wore Nike Kobe AD sneakers. Ball kept people guessing Thursday when he jogged onto the court in a pair of James Harden signature Adidas.
"Big Baller Brand, you've got freedom to do whatever you want," Ball said on the ESPN broadcast after the game. "I'm showcasing that."
Ball showed off the gifted passing skills that president of basketball operations Magic Johnson coveted before the draft. He tossed alley-oop passes, outlets for dunks, kick-outs for jumpers and nifty passes in traffic. It was the third straight game of double-digit assists for Ball.
Fellow first-round draft pick Kyle Kuzma continued his strong summer with 20 points and a nail-in-the-coffin 3-pointer with 1:00 left off an assist by Ball to go up 90-81. The 2016-17 NBA Development League MVP Vander Blue finished with 18 points for the Lakers (3-2).
Point guard Kay Felder carried Cleveland (3-1) with 25 points.
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