Lonzo Ball on brother's arrest: ‘I got to come out here and play'

Lonzo Ball isn’t using his younger brother’s recent arrest in China as an excuse for his ongoing struggles on the court for the Lakers.

Ball, whose brother LiAngelo remains in Hangzhou following his release on bail after allegedly shoplifting with two UCLA basketball teammates, said he can’t afford to get distracted by the situation overseas.

"I mean, it's still my little brother,” Ball said. “But I got to come out here and play."

With boos raining down on him in Boston Wednesday night, Ball failed to get anything going for Los Angeles, shooting 4-for-15, including 1-of-5 from three-point range in the 107-96 loss to the streaking Celtics.

He finished with just nine points to go along with his six assists and five rebounds, finding a silver lining with a career-high four blocks.

But the 20-year-old continues to focus on his shooting, and for good reason: Ball has made a measly 29.5 percent of his shots this season after hitting 55 percent from the field in his lone season at UCLA last year.

“I’m just trying to work on balance,” he said. “That’s what (coach) Luke (Walton) and Magic (Johnson) have been telling me. That’s the problem right now. Just balance.”

"It's just in my head, to be honest," the rookie added. "I know I can (shoot). ... It's a long season. Just got to stay positive and keep putting in work. And then it is going to show for itself."

Ball said before the game that he has yet to speak with LiAngelo and the rest of his family — parents LaVar and Tina and youngest brother LaMelo — who accompanied the UCLA squad to China.

LaVar and LaMelo Ball, who arrived in Shanghai hours after Tuesday's arrest, visited LiAngelo on Thursday in Hangzhou, where he remains confined with two other UCLA freshmen. LaVar and LaMelo returned to Shanghai ahead of the Friday’s game there against Georgia Tech, according to ESPN.

LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley are accused of stealing sunglasses from a Louis Vuitton store near their hotel. They are prohibited from leaving China until the case is resolved, which could reportedly take months.

The players could face between three to 10 years in prison if convicted, but according to USA Today, the nature of their release on bail suggests a weaker punishment could be the result, such as a fine.