Lakers’ Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma To Play In MTN Dew Kickstart Rising Stars Game

Brandon Ingram and rookies Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma were three Los Angeles Lakers players selected to participate in the Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars Game.

NBA MTN Dew Kickstart Rising Stars Game Rosters

The trio were chosen by the NBA’s assistant coaches out of ten American first- and second-year players, who will face off against ten international players.

The game will be played at Staples Center on Friday, Feb. 16, two days before the All-Star Game. Ball and Kuzma are the 11th and 12th Lakers in franchise history to be selected to the game, previously known as the Rookie- Sophomore Game.

This marks the third straight season the Lakers have had at least two representatives in the matchup, and the first time the team has has three participants since 1997 (Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Travis Knight).

Ingram, 20, is averaging 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists, shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three-point range in 43 games (all starts). The forward — whom the Lakers selected as the second overall pick out of Duke in 2016 — is the only player in the NBA age 20 years or younger averaging at least 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. He has 11 games with 20 points or more this season, including a career-high 32 points on Nov. 29 against Golden State.

Ball, the second overall pick out of UCLA in the 2017 draft, has compiled 10.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 36 games (all starts). The 6-foot-6 point guard became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double on Nov. 11 at 20 years and 15 days old.

Kuzma is the Lakers’ leading scorer with 16.7 points (.463 FG%, .382 3FG%), along with 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 46 games (21 starts). Kuzma scored 25-plus points in three consecutive games from Dec. 18-22, the first Lakers rookie to achieve this since Jerry West in 1961.

The Rising Stars Game will air on TNT and begin at 9 pm EST. Here are the full rosters:

WORLD TEAM

No. | Player (Team) | Pos.
8 | Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings) | G
24 | Dillon Brooks (Grizzlies) | F-G
21 | Joel Embiid (76ers) | C
24 | Buddy Hield (Kings) | G
24 | Lauri Markkanen (Bulls) | F
27 | Jamal Murray (Nuggets) | G
11 | Frank Ntilikina (Knicks) | G
11 | Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) | C-F
9 | Dario Saric (76ers) | F
25 | Ben Simmons (76ers) | G-F

U.S. TEAM

No. | Player (Team) | Pos.
2 | Lonzo Ball (Lakers) | G
13 | Malcolm Brogdon (Bucks) | G
7 | Jaylen Brown (Celtics) | G-F
20 | John Collins (Hawks) | F-C
32 | Kris Dunn (Bulls) | G
14 | Brandon Ingram (Lakers) | F
0 | Kyle Kuzma (Lakers) | F
45 | Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) | G
1 | Dennis Smith, Jr. (Mavericks) | G
0 | Jayson Tatum (Celtics) | F

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 27: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles upcourt during the second half of a game against the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center on October 27, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena

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