Lonzo Ball will not play during the Lakers’ road trip
Lonzo Ball will miss the rest of the Lakers’ road trip because of his sprained medial collateral ligament, Lakers coach Luke Walton said after Thursday morning’s practice.
Ball will miss at least 10 games with the injury, after missing six with a sprained shoulder in December and early January. He injured the ligament Jan. 13 during a game against the Dallas Mavericks.
“Today was our last real practice,” Walton said. “Saturday will be a shootaround and he will not play before he practices, so he is out until at least we get home.”
Walton had hoped Ball would be able to play during this five-game road trip, which began in Chicago on Friday. The Lakers brought Ball along to receive treatment and spend time with teammates until he was ready to play. But the guard has only been able to do some stationary shooting and dribbling drills.
The injury he sustained typically takes one to three weeks to heal, but can take longer. Ball will reach the three-week mark Sunday.
The Lakers played the Bulls on Friday, the Raptors on Sunday and the Magic on Wednesday. They next play the Brooklyn Nets on Friday before facing the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. This is the third consecutive game Ball will have missed against the Thunder.
Follow Tania Ganguli on Twitter @taniaganguli
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