Here is what you need to know before the Lakers face the Phoenix Suns in a preseason exhibition in Anaheim.
1)
After a quiet majority of preseason, Brandon Ingram made himself heard in the Lakers’ last game against Golden State on Wednesday. The second-overall pick played a bit of point forward, found his groove and hit shots from all across the floor. He contributed a bit of everything with 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
2)
With this being the last game of preseason, it’s also the final opportunity for the Lakers’ end-of-bench players to make their case for the regular-season roster. Only 15 players can be suited up when the season tips off on Wednesday, which means that two will have to be cut before then.
3)
One Laker who has used the preseason to his full advantage has been Nick Young. Coming off a career-worst season, Young has been the team’s best shooter and one of its top defenders so far. He has averaged 13.2 points in exhibitions and has hit 54.3 percent from 3-point range.
Nick Young Shot Chart
4)
D’Angelo Russell’s good friend, Devin Booker, has been tearing it up in the preseason, leading the league in scoring with 21.5 points per game. Booker missed Phoenix’s last game due to an ailing ankle, but thus far has proven why NBA general managers have chosen him as the player most likely to have a breakout season this year.
5)
The Lakers are closing out preseason in familiar territory, as they return to Anaheim for the second time this year. The purple and gold have history with this city, including when Shaquille O’Neal and co. went 2-1 against the Clippers during a series of Anaheim regular-season tilts in the late 1990s.
Tip-off: 7 p.m. PT
TV: Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum Deportes
Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 KWKW