After averaging a league-high 52 points a game, LiAngelo Ball scored a league-high 58 points during the JBA's first playoff game on Friday. Unlike most of Gelo's 50-point performances, he shot over 50% from the field (67% on 23-of-34 shooting) and didn't struggle from three (11-of-20 from downtown) in this one. A few of the threes were also contested and a few that weren't is because he decided to pull up from near half-court.
Brother Melo added 34 points (13-28 FG, 5-13 3PT) and a game-high 13 assists in LA's 157-134 win over Philly (I'm assuming basketball fans in the City of Brotherly Love aren't taking this loss as hard as they did when the 76ers lost to the Lakers in 2001).
BALL BROS HIGHEST SCORING GAMES
In case you were wondering what's the most points the brothers have ever scored in a game, Melo scored 92 points on 37-of-61 shooting during his high school sophomore year (he was just 15 years old) back in 2017 and Gelo scored 72 for BC Vytautas in Lithuania earlier this year and during his senior year at Chino Hills.
Melo's 92, which included a 41-point first quarter, was criticized because many of his buckets came off of cherry-picking layups. He said the team made a conscious effort to make the game a headline-worthy one to bring awareness to a fellow Chino Hills student, Lexi Anderson, who was in need of a heart transplant and donations after going into cardiac arrest.
Some accused Gelo's 72 in Lithuania of being staged and/or a publicity stunt since he declared for the NBA draft before the game. As you know, he didn't get drafted and that's why he's currently putting up 50-point games in his Dad's league.
His other 72-point game came during his senior year in 2016. The game also happened just one day after he put up 56 points and was a school record until Melo's 92. But the 13 three-pointers he made in this game still stands as a school record.
As for Lonzo, I don't know what his high school career high is but I know he averaged 24 points a game while also averaging 12 assists, 11 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks during his senior year that ended with him winning MVP at our Ballislife All-American Game.
I also know he put up an impressive 29 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists in his second NBA game and I don't care if it was against the Phoenix Suns. The Suns are made of a group of the most talented basketball players in the world...which is something I can't say about the competition LaVar Ball's other sons are going against right now.
