Buzzer-beater lifts Lakers over Sixers

PHILADELPHIA - When LaVar Ball started taunting Philly fans in the fourth quarter, it only turned up the volume on an already raucous atmosphere on Thursday night.

Then his son, Lonzo, helped silence the sold-out crowd.

Brandon Ingram scored 21 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds remaining on an assist from Lonzo Ball, to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 107-104 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson added 16 points apiece for the Lakers, who snapped a five-game losing streak.

On the winning play, Ball drove to the basket before dishing back to Ingram on the right wing.

"He already saw it before it happened," LaVar Ball said of his son's assist.

Ingram calmly drained what he called the biggest shot of his young NBA career.

"I think he made a great pass," Ingram said. "I had the confidence to shoot it."

Lonzo Ball finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

The winning basket sent Ball's dad, LaVar, into a wild celebration in a skybox suite.

"When I come this far, it's hard to beat him," LaVar Ball said. "I don't like all them losses. So, he'll do whatever it takes to get that 'W.'"

LaVar Ball later embraced his son outside the Lakers locker room and told him how proud he was.

"Keep doing what you're doing," he said. "You're going to figure it out. You're going to have more fun than you've ever had."

The game was the first for the Lakers since LaVar Ball criticized coach Luke Walton and the Lakers offense in a radio interview, saying Lonzo was "very disgusted."

It has been a tumultuous week for the Ball family, as LaVar withdrew another son, LiAngelo, from UCLA stemming from his suspension by the school for his involvement in a shoplifting incident in China.

LaVar Ball recently withdrew youngest son LaMelo from Chino Hills High, where he was a junior, and said he was going to home school him.

On Thursday LaVar told ESPN that LiAngelo and LaMelo have signed with Harrison Gaines, the same agent who represents Lonzol. That ends the amateur status of both.

Lonzo Ball was loudly booed every time he touched the ball on Thursday, and Philadelphia fans gave the elder Ball even worse treatment when he began hooting and hollering from his suite in the fourth quarter.

"They don't know the boos make my son stand up because I've been teaching him that since he was a baby," LaVar said.

Lonzo Ball said he enjoyed the atmosphere.

"Right when they called my name, they were ready to go," he said of the fans.

Joel Embiid scored 33 points and Ben Simmons had a triple-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists for Philadelphia.

"I never really felt we started playing until halfway through the third," Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said.

Associated Press