NBA Preseason Day 3: Lonzo Ball tweaks ankle in Lakers' loss; Amritpal Singh debuts for NBL team
Denver Nuggets 113-107 Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers looked exciting once again in their second preseason game of the season against the Denver Nuggets, who were coming off a win against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. But the franchise flooded with young talent couldn't overcome their deficit despite a late surge fueled by rookie Kyle Kuzma (23 points in 29 minutes). Another positive for the franchise was the improved play of Julius Randle (12 points, 10 rebounds). However, the story after this game was Lonzo Ball tweaking his ankle in the second quarter. He never returned to play after heading back to the locker room to tape the left ankle.
Lakers will face the Nuggets once again a couple of days later (Oct. 4) in Ontario, California.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets, on the other hand, looked calm and composed through all the crowd cheering at the Staples Center. This time it was shooting guard Gary Harris, who led the team in scoring with his 25 points in 21 minutes. The team, as a whole, shot exceptionally from the field - 46.4% from the field and 55.6% from beyond the arc.
Sydney Kings 84-108 Utah Jazz
This encounter between the NBL team Sydney Kings and the Utah Jazz was one of three where the professional teams from the Australian Basketball league get a feel for what the NBA has to show during the latter's preseason.
Although the Sydney Kings didn't trouble the Jazz much, the game did hold a huge significance for fans in India. The team's offseason signing of Amritpal Singh made his debut for the team playing eight minutes and grabbing two rebounds. He could potentially make his NBL debut for the team on October 7th against the Adelaide 36ers.
Charlotte Hornets 82-94 Boston Celtics
In their first preseason game, the Boston Celtics were hosting the Charlotte Hornets at the TD Garden. With their hugely talked about successful offseason, there was much anticipation to see their new superstars (Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward) acquisition together on the floor. The duo did their bit in their limited minutes as the team came away with the comfortable win.
Kyrie Irving: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 19 minutes
Gordon Hayward: 5 points, 5 rebounds, 17 minutes
Guangzhou Long-Lions 96-126 Washington Wizards
Jodie Meeks (WSH): 19 points, 7-of-9 shooting, 16 mins
Tyler Hansbrough (GUA): 29 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals
Orlando Magic 84-92 Memphis Grizzlies
Mario Chalmers (MEM): 19 points, 20 minutes
Jonathan Issac (ORL): 15 points, 3 rebounds
Milwaukee Bucks 104-106 Dallas Mavericks
Gian Clavell (DAL): 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Rashad Vaughn (MIL): 20 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
San Antonio Spurs 100-106 Sacramento Kings
De'Aaron Fox (SAC): 16 points, 2 assists
LaMarcus Aldridge (SAS): 17 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 15 minutes