Los Angeles Lakers: Three things we learned from their first game in MSG

(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

There were plenty of takeaways from Madison Square Garden despite another loss for the Los Angeles Lakers.

If there were ever a time to feel a little positive about Lonzo Ball, it’d be now. Out of all of the games that he’s played in the regular season as a rookie, this was perhaps his most interesting one yet.

Playing in one of the best places to play basketball in the world, Ball didn’t fall too flat and ended up scoring 17 points and was two rebounds away from a double-double.

While it was a bright spot for what’s been a generally dismal shooting start to his career, it was not all positive takeaways for the purple and gold. With the loss, the team drops to 10-16 on the year in what was a very winnable game for them.

If they really expect to be able to crack the playoff picture and make some noise, even as the eighth seed, they have to be able to win close games. Going to overtime on the road is one thing, but not being able to finish strong and  close their opponent out is a problem.

It’s not all on the players, though, as I will get to in a minute. This is also a problem going forward for the simple fact that it’s not going to improve their mental toughness whatsoever.

In any case, with that in mind, let’s break down the three biggest takeaways from the 16th loss of the season for the Lakers.