X-ray shows no break for Brandon Ingram
An X-ray of Brandon Ingram’s left wrist had to wait Thursday until shortly before the Lakers tipped off against the San Antonio Spurs.
The X-ray technician at the AT&T Center was delayed by a traffic accident.
The news was worth the wait. Ingram did not have a fracture, just a sprain that caused pain.
He suffered the injury Wednesday at practice.
“I just fell on it,” Ingram said. “Of course, I didn’t feel it until last night. Of course, in practice there’s adrenaline pumping, you’re just playing hard. Felt it get sore a little bit this morning. Just wanted to check it out, see if something was wrong with it.”
Ingram played 31 minutes against the Spurs and scored nine points with two rebounds and one assist. He said afterward that the injury did not hamper him during the game.
Zubac sees playing time
Ivica Zubac, the Lakers’ second-round pick in the draft last summer, had played only 54 minutes before Thursday. He played 14 against the Spurs, and made the most of them.
“He’s got a great feel for the game,” Coach Luke Walton said. “He’s done a good job of losing some weight, which we asked him to do. At this level he’s got to be a little thinner than he was.”
Zubac has found most of his playing time with the Lakers’ Development League team, the D-Fenders.
That work has helped him slim down, as have improved eating habits. The 7-foot-1 Croatian said he gained weight last summer, attributing the added pounds to American food.
“I realized it’s not going to help me,” Zubac said. “So they told me it’s better for me to lose some weight. I said yes and I started eating better, working out more, running on the treadmill. It definitely helped. Everything that’s bad: pasta, potatoes, sweets, of course. I’m not drinking any soda, any juices, just water.”
He said he has lost about eight to 10 pounds since he started eating better, and that the Lakers want him to lose about seven more to get down to 265.
Against the Spurs, Zubac had eight points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.
“Made some nice passes, some nice shots,” Walton said. “Good feel for the ball. Defensively, he had a block and some rebounds. Still needs to get better. The way the NBA’s played now, being able to put up a little resistance when he gets switched on the guards. Obviously, that’ll come with time. I was pleased with the way he played.”
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