With the Los Angeles Lakers set to play on Christmas Day 2017, rookie Lonzo Ball’s injury status is on the minds of fans. After suffering a shoulder injury this past Saturday in a game, the No. 2 NBA Draft pick previously said he’d be ready to play in the big game on Monday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, the latest update on Ball’s condition may say otherwise. Here’s what to expect when the L.A. Lakers host the Timberwolves in their matchup on Christmas night.
According to a report via ESPN ‘s Ohm Youngmisuk, Lonzo Ball had a recent MRI which indicated he has a sprained left shoulder. The injury occurred in his team’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday when Ball “got tangled up with Portland’s Jusuf Nurkic” on a play. Ball remained in the contest but his shoulder had swelling in it after the game. An MRI was later performed to access the status. Due to the findings, it means Ball will not be suiting up for Monday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In addition, Ball is expected to be out of action for at least a week, with another evaluation to happen in that time. Ball will miss as many as five games over that period of time.
When first asked about the injury, Ball seemed to believe he’d be OK to play for Monday’s game, but the MRI results showed otherwise.
“I am not really sure what happened, but definitely felt it pop, kind of. I’ll just ice it and be ready to go Christmas.”
In addition to the Lakers’ game against the Timberwolves on Monday night, the L.A. Lakers are scheduled for a game on home games against the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers. They’ll follow those with games on the road, first against the Houston Rockets and then versus the Minnesota Timberwolves again.
Lonzo Ball’s injury is just one the team is dealing with during the stretch. Starting center Brook Lopez has missed some time with a sprained ankle and will miss a few more weeks due to his injury. As of this report, the Lakers are 11-20 overall and sitting at third place in the NBA’s Pacific Division. Ball is averaging 10 points per game and is leading the team in rebounds (6.9 per game) and assists (7.1 per game) during his rookie campaign.
