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Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball took a step toward his return to the court Monday.

The Lakers announced the rookie "was a limited participant" during Monday's practice. Ball hasn't appeared in a game since Jan. 13 when he played 43 minutes and tallied nine points and seven assists in a victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

The UCLA product has been dealing with a knee injury but has played 36 games for Los Angeles this season. He is averaging 10.2 points, 7.1 assists, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals a night behind 35.6 percent shooting from the field and 30.3 percent shooting from three-point range.

Lakers reporter Mike Trudell updated Ball's status on Saturday, noting he has participated in full-speed drills without any setbacks.

"I didn't think it was going to be this serious, to be honest," Ball said of his injury Wednesday, per Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times. "There was never a timeline for it. It was kind of just a thing that came up. I thought it was going to be dealt with quicker, but obviously my body didn't react to it that well. I should be back hopefully soon." 

Despite Ball's health problems, the Lakers have found their footing for an extended stretch this season, going 12-5 in their last 17.

They still have Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Josh Hart in the backcourt, and Isaiah Thomas provides an additional guard after they acquired him via trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brandon Ingram is also versatile enough to handle the ball on the perimeter until Ball is ready to return.

from Bleacher Report - Front Page http://ift.tt/2BUeMDW