Lonzo Ball showed that he can do more than just kill you on offense in UCLA’s win against Oregon
You’ve heard more about his little brother LaMelo –who dropped 92 points in a high school game, defensive effort aside– lately than you have him, but make no mistake about it, Lonzo Ball is still the top dog in the Ball basketball family. He showcased that once again to us all on Thursday night in the win against the No. 5-ranked Oregon Ducks, although he really went about it in a more different manner than usual.
It appeared as though UCLA was set to drop their second game of the season to fiery Oregon, falling down by as many as 19 at one point. The pattern forming would incline you to believe that we weren’t getting anywhere near the thrilling finish that we got the last time these two stepped onto the court in Eugene last month. That would turn out to be anything but the case by the time the final buzzer sounded inside Pauley Pavilion.
Ball was not going to allow his team to be run off the court by their top-five opponent, and he did everything in his power to make sure the fans in Westwood wouldn’t have to endure such heartache.
When you think of the 2016-17 UCLA Bruins –and Ball especially– you think offense, and rightfully so. Head coach Steve Alford’s team is No. 1 in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency this season according to KenPom, coming in at 124.9 per 100 possessions. They’re one of the deadliest scoring teams in the country, and Ball is right near the forefront of that at third on the unit, averaging 15.1 points per game. In the thrilling come-from-behind win on Thursday night inside Pauley, he was right there within his normal expectancy, finishing the game with 15 points, the most among the starters on the floor.
Of course, none of those 15 points will be more ingrained in the minds of everyone who watched that instant classic than the dagger three. With the clock winding down in the second half and the Bruins up by just two and Oregon’s Dylan Ennis in his face, Ball channeled the ice water in his veins, stepped back and more or less showed Stephen Curry what’s up.
With UCLA and Ball known for this offensive acumen this season, it was the perfect visual to end the night for the Bruins.
However, it’s more than likely to be overlooked in the win just how well UCLA played on the defensive end of the floor down the stretch to cool off the red-hot Oregon offense so they could ultimately earn win No. 21 on the season. Yes, UCLA, the team that ranks 1122nd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency at 102 points per 100 possessions per KenPom, played exceptional defense. I know, I was just as shocked as anyone.
And here as we approach the month of March before we know it, the time when teams need their star youngsters the most, it was Ball who was at the forefront of this attack. When all was said and done in the 82-79 UCLA win, Ball tallied 11 rebounds — all of them on the defensive end of the floor. Simply stated, 11 different times Ball hit the defensive glass on Thursday night to make sure that none of those streaky Oregon shooters would get a chance to touch the ball again on a particular possession. Basketball is often a story told by advanced analytics and statistics –which I’ve even used above– but in the grand scheme of things the concept on the hardwood is simple: keep the ball out of the other team’s grip and firmly into yours, and your chances of coming out victorious increase significantly.
Not many see Ball as much of a versatile threat, but he showed on Thursday night on one of UCLA’s most important stages of the season that he most certainly can be. He ripped down 11 boards on the defensive end, and for perspective, he only averages 6 on the season.
To help his team overcome what some saw as insurmountable odds on Thursday evening, Ball nearly doubled his rebounding average, basically the epitome of a star stepping up for his team when they needed him the most. And, he still gave us the heroic offensive highlight at the end of the game that we’d expect from him.
Lonzo Ball is more than just a polarizing star for UCLA who’s here for our offensive enjoyment on SportsCenter. He can put together a complete effort in all facets of the game if need be to will his team to victory.
If we get this Lonzo Ball and this defensive UCLA Bruins team for a good portion of the month of March, then all teams around the country are officially on notice.