In the first half, Ball’s performance was flawless, but after halftime, he started making turnovers, allowing the Spurs to capitalize on fast breaks and close the gap to just 3 points. In response, Walton was forced to call a timeout. Overall, Ball had an outstanding game, shooting 7-for-11 from the field, including 4-for-7 from three-point range, finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals. Before this game, if Popovich had not yet seen Ball play, he surely gained a solid understanding of his abilities after witnessing this performance.
Ball’s energy remained high throughout the game. During one offensive play for the Lakers, Ball made a cut to the basket, received a pass from Kuzma, and finished with a powerful two-handed dunk. Early in the fourth quarter, the Spurs went on a scoring run, narrowing the gap to just 2 points. At this moment, Ball took matters into his own hands, driving hard to the basket and scoring a layup. Although Ball’s shooting touch from beyond the arc wasn’t as sharp in the second half as it was in the first, with just under 3 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, he hit a clutch three-pointer from the left wing, extending the Lakers’ lead to 15 points.
Ball played 36 minutes as the Lakers’ starting point guard, finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals on 7-of-11 shooting and 4-of-7 from three. Prior to the game, Spurs head coach Popovich was asked by reporters to evaluate Ball’s performance. His response was typically Popovich: “I haven’t watched him play yet. If I need to watch his game footage, that’s the assistant coach’s job. That’s what Jerry Sloan taught me.”
As one of the most-watched rookies, Ball’s shooting early in the season had been abysmal, but since December, his three-point shooting has noticeably improved. In the first quarter, with just over 6 minutes remaining, Ball caught the ball at the top of the arc and immediately knocked down a three-pointer. Later, in the second quarter with over 7 minutes to go, he received a fast-break assist from Clarkson and scored a dunk. He then hit two more consecutive three-pointers, scoring 8 straight points for the Lakers. His first four shots were all successful, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, showing his excellent touch.
On the defensive end, Ball was equally engaged. At the end of the first half, he successfully stole the ball from Aldridge and initiated a fast break, though Nance missed the alley-oop. It could be said that Ball’s three-pointer essentially sealed the game, as Popovich quickly conceded, subbing in his entire bench.