OAKLAND, Calif -- Point guard Isaiah Thomas made his first start with the Los Angeles Lakers against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, with Kyle Kuzma unable to play due to a sprained right ankle.
Thomas scored 20 points with five 3-pointers and seven assists in the Lakers' 117-106 loss.
Kuzma suffered his injury on Tuesday night and played through it during the Lakers' win over Denver. But after Kuzma tested his ankle before Wednesday's game, the rookie did not feel great, and the team decided to hold him out.
"He came over earlier and tried to push through it a little bit, and he couldn't,'' Lakers coach Luke Walton said. "It isn't really worth it ... We'll take it day-by-day.'
With Brandon Ingram (strained groin), Josh Hart (fractured fourth left metacarpal) and Kuzma out, Walton inserted Thomas into the starting five for the first time since the Lakers acquired the point guard in a trade with Cleveland.
"We were indecisive on offense, we had a few turnovers and they got out running and they went on a run,'' Thomas said about the game. "So they were the more aggressive in the second half and you could tell we were, as an overall team, a little tired.''
Walton has played Thomas and rookie Lonzo Ball together and likes what he has seen. This was the first time they started alongside each other. Ball dished out 11 assists in the game.
"I think it's gone great," Walton said before Wednesday's game of Thomas and Ball playing together. "I think the best part is having two point guards on the floor, as far as decision-makers, as far [as] being able to run our offense side to side with one of them initiating and getting the defense to make rotation and then the other one gets the ball swung to him into a side pick-and-roll. Just having guys who are both able to make other people better is a nice advantage to have."
