The New Orleans Pelicans were unable to get their first win of December against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday and extended their losing streak to seven games. However, the game wasn’t a total loss (even if it technically was in the losses column) because Lonzo Ball looked the most comfortable he’s looked all season.
In a team-high 43:27, Ball dropped a season-high 20 points on 66.7% shooting from the field, including 80% shooting from behind the arc in five attempts. His previous season-high was 18 points on 46.2% shooting from the field.
Ball also tallied 11 assists, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks. His seven turnovers were an issue, but he did enough on both ends of the floor to where they didn’t stand out as a glaring issue. He ended the game a +5 in the box score, tied for the team-high with rookie Jaxson Hayes.
Ball has been frustrating to watch on most nights this season, mostly because of how limited he is on offense, but on night when his shots are falling, he’s one of the most impactful players on the court. Hopefully with more reps and fewer games lost to injury, Ball can start to resemble the player NBA scouts hoped he’d be coming out of UCLA.
Here are all of the highlights from Ball’s night against the Suns courtesy of Smart Highlights:
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