Lonzo Ball out Monday with groin injury, will miss matchup vs. De'Aaron Fox
Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball will sit out Monday's Las Vegas Summer League game against the Sacramento Kings with a groin injury.
The injury isn't considered serious but the Lakers are playing it safe with Ball, who was selected No. 2 overall in last month's draft.
"He's fine," the source told ESPN.
Ball has had the injury since last week, the source told ESPN.
USA Today Sports first reported that Ball would sit out Monday's game with the injury.
The matchup with the Kings had been highly anticipated because it would have pitted Ball against fellow rookie De'Aaron Fox, who was selected No. 5 overall.
Fox got the best of Ball in the NCAA tournament, when the Kentucky Wildcats beat Ball's UCLA team 86-75. Fox scored a career-high 39 points in that game, with four assists and three rebounds. Ball finished with 10 points, eight assists and four turnovers.
Kings fans were looking forward to Monday's matchup; team management is hosting a free watch party inside Golden 1 Center.
Ball was looking to continue his momentum from Saturday, when he compiled his first triple-double with the Lakers for 11 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in an 86-81 loss to Boston. That was a turnaround from his summer league debut the night before when he shot 2-for-15, including 1-for-11 from 3-point range, in an overtime loss to the Clippers.
Fox averaged 17.5 points, 4 assists and 4 steals in his first two games with the Kings in Las Vegas.
The Lakers will face the Kings without Ball and last year's second overall pick, Brandon Ingram. After he suffered a cramp toward the end of the Lakers' first game on Friday, the team opted to hold out Ingram from the remainder of summer league for precautionary reasons.
Kyle Kuzma (cramps) and Josh Hart (ankle) are also out. Ball, Kuzma and Hart will be re-evaluated Wednesday, with the Lakers not playing Tuesday.
Ball had said he wants to win, work on his shot in summer league and develop chemistry with his teammates.
"My shot is off," Ball said Saturday. "But everyone knows I will keep shooting. My confidence is there."
