Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
Mar 22, 2018; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Rajon Rondo (9) smiles towards Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball (2) during the fourth quarter at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Lakers 128-125. USA TODAY Sports / Derick E. Hingle

Heralded rookie point guard Lonzo Ball went 2/15 from the field and 1/12 from the three-point line on Thursday (Friday AEDT) as the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 128-125 road loss to the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center. After beginning the month of March with a 5-2 record, the Lakers have now lost four consecutive games dating back to 117-106 loss to the Golden State Warriors on March 14.

The Lakers took a comfortable 108-97 lead into the fourth quarter before being out-scored 31-17 in the final period. Ball missed five threes in the fourth quarter, at least three of them wide open looks.

On Thursday, Ball registered an impressive tally of 13 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 blocks but struggled to find his shooting rhythm through most of the night. Rajon Rondo, the Pelicans' veteran point guard, played lockdown defence on Ball and didn't allow the young Laker to dribble-penetrate his way to the rim.

After the defeat, Lakers coach Luke Walton came out in support of Ball. "I want a point guard who has the courage to step up and take those, even after missing a few. None of those were forced (shots). They were open 3s in rhythm. We believe in what he's going to do for us in our future and he's shown, at times, this year what he's going to be," Walton told reporters, via ESPN.

Lonzo Ball shooting woes continue in March

Ball, who was drafted No. 2 overall by the Lakers last June, is shooting 27 percent from the three-point arc in the month of March while averaging 9.5 points, 7.6 assists, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 1.0 blocks.

It's a major drop-off for Ball after a spectacular stretch between January and February when the rookie guard shot in excess of 40 percent from deep and began to look like a sharpshooter.

In a game that saw 19 lead changes, Walton blamed his team's defence for the missed opportunities. "Our commitment to defense was awful. It was just a `Let's shoot it out and see who scores more.' It might be fun for the fans and maybe for the players even, but it's not up to the standard that we hold for ourselves."

Lonzo Ball is averaging 10.1 points, 7.1 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers. Ball entered the league with the reputation for being a generational passer, after a spectacular one-and-done college season at UCLA.