Lonzo Ball out vs. Kings, could sit for rest of preseason

LAS VEGAS -- Los Angeles Lakers rookieLonzo Ball was ruled out of his third straight preseason game with a sprained left ankle, and his status for the remainder of the preseason is uncertain.

Ball did not play Sunday night against the Sacramento Kingsand on Monday was ruled out of Tuesday's game against the Utah Jazz. Lakers coach Luke Walton said Sunday that Ball is still having difficulty moving side to side and did not rule out the possibility of the No. 2 overall pick sitting out the remainder of the preseason.

Walton did make it clear, though, that Ball is considered day-to-day, adding that "I assume he will be back" by the season opener against the LA Clippers on Oct. 19.

"I hope not, but yeah, that's a possibility," Walton said when asked if Ball could miss the rest of the preseason. "It is different with every player. He is new to the team, so we've got to see how long these types of injuries take him to come back from. We'd like to have him back, but again, we are not going to rush him back just to try to get him out there."

Andrew Bogut also did not play Sunday because of a strained groin, and was ruled out of Tuesday's game as well.

Walton said Ball tried to do some work in practice Saturday but couldn't.

"Even before practice he was working with [assistant coach Miles Simon] and he was just limping around," Walton said. "It made no sense to try to have him play. If you can't run and jump, there's no reason to fight through that. We are just going to keep giving him treatment, and he will be day to day."

Ball injured his ankle last Monday when he landed on Denver Nuggets point guard Emmanuel Mudiay's foot near the end of the first half. He started the second half and played briefly.

Walton said Ball's injury is not worse than previously thought and that there has been no setback. If Ball's ankle doesn't improve enough by the opener, however, the Lakers will play it safe.

"If he is not ready, he won't [play]," Walton said of the season opener. "Again, it is day to day so I assume he will be back by then. If he's not ready to play basketball and really cut and move and do everything that you need that ankle you need it to do for you, we are not going to play him."

"It's just still sore," Walton added. "He said he can run straight and feels no pain, but it's going side to side that really gets him."