NBA scores 2017: LeBron James’ interesting game against the Lakers and 5 more things from Thursday

The Cleveland Cavaliers dropped the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, beating them 121-112. It was a close game by the numbers, even if Cleveland always seemed to have a clear handle on things. It was also interesting for several reasons, which we’ll start exploring now.

1. This was one of Lonzo Ball’s best games yet. Against a team like Cleveland, Ball scored 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting with 11 assists and eight rebounds. Sure, he turned it over some (six times) and wasn’t always perfect, but this is a glimpse of Ball’s future. He can be a positive NBA player by hitting enough shots while making positive plays in all other areas of the court. How many players can make this play?

The quickness that Ball went from rebound to perfect leakout pass is astounding. I don’t know how the hell he registers that all so quickly, but here he is all the same. Ball is not a bust. He clearly needs to improve, but ruling him out for his shooting ignores the great work he is doing in the other areas of the court.

2. LeBron James complimented Ball afterward. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen James pull up his jersey and talk to a player after a game, but the last time, it was his good friend Dwyane Wade. Here’s the sequel:

What did James tell Ball? Apparently it wasn’t about anything to do with his dad, or his brothers, or whatever other Twitter jokes were made. (Those Twitter jokes, we should note, were extremely good.) It was just about Ball saying previously that James was his favorite player and what Ball needed to do to keep getting better.

That made the most sense. Still, we enjoyed the speculation as much as anybody.

3. Supposedly, James is going to Los Angeles next summer. Nobody actually knows what James is doing in free agency next summer, and it actually seems more and more difficult for him to leave Cleveland. But if he did, the Lakers loom large. There have been hints that James is interested in moving there, and he recently purchased a second home in Los Angeles. Obviously, a second home in LA is definitive proof that James is headed there.

4. But hey, the Lakers put up a fight. That’s all you could ask from them, should James actually seriously consider them this offseason. Brandon Ingram increasingly looks like he’s living up to his potential, while Kyle Kuzma keeps being a godsend for the Lakers. Even Julius Randle had a good game off the bench.

It’s all extremely interesting. We’ll leave it at that.

Lonzo Ball, of course, famously said that Nas wasn’t “real hip-hop,” which is a ridiculous statement but also somewhat understandable for a 20-year-old who only listens to new artists. Whatever — this was a solid and subtle roast from Cleveland’s DJ Steph Floss.

The New York Knicks lost Kristaps Porzingis on Thursday, although the injury doesn’t seem to be terribly serious. It was a non-contact injury, but Porzingis left the game walking under his own power and didn’t seem terribly concerned:

Somehow, New York still beat the Brooklyn Nets in a seven-point affair. Shoutout to 45 points off the bench, including a double-double from Kyle O’Quinn!

Knicks 111, Nets 104 (Posting & Toasting recap | Nets Daily recap)

Pistons 105, Hawks 91 (Detroit Bad Boys recap | Peachtree Hoops recap)

Timberwolves 119, Kings 96 (Canis Hoopus recap | Sactown Royalty recap)

Cavaliers 121, Lakers 112 (Fear the Sword recap | Silver Screen & Roll recap)

Warriors 112, Mavericks 97 (Golden State of Mind recap | Mavs Moneyball recap)