LOS ANGELES – With a stoic expression on his face, Lakers rookie center Ivica Zubac sat by his locker. He expressed what his body language suggested he felt.

“I’m tired,” Zubac said before the Lakers played the Detroit Pistons on Sunday at Staples Center.

In an experience he called “exhausting,” Zubac appeared for three minutes in the final moments of Saturday’s loss to the Clippers before playing that evening for the Lakers’ Development League affiliate. Though he received forewarning a few days beforehand, Zubac struggled squeezing in a 20-minute nap before the D-Fenders hosted the Canton Charge.

Even after sleeping in until 11 a.m. on Sunday, Zubac said he felt the physical strain from becoming the 10th player in history to play in an NBA and D-League game on the same day. D-Fenders coach and former Lakers player Coby Karl and former Lakers guard Jordan Farmar also represent that group.

Zubac also felt tired from something else. Throughout his overlapping stints with the Lakers and D-Fenders, the Croatian center has frequently heard defenders try to belittle him.

“I’m coming from the NBA, so they want to talk trash all the time,” Zubac said. “But I don’t really care what they’re trying to say. I’m in the NBA and they’re not. They can say whatever they want.”

So, Zubac has responded by averaging 15.6 points on 57.8 percent shooting, 9.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 block through 13 games with the D-Fenders. On Saturday, he posted 20 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in 32 minutes.

“If English was my first language, I would talk back. But sometimes it’s really hard to answer really quick,” Zubac said. “So I just score on them. I respond with my game.”

On Saturday, Zubac did so by showing reported improvement on defense and depending on his developing skyhook. He also collected three fouls, which mirrors the 3.5 fouls he has averaged thus far. Defenders apparently have teased Zubac about that tendency.

“They say they’ll get me out of the game and will attack me. Then they say I will have to foul them,” Zubac said. “Everybody goes extra hard against me because I’m coming from the NBA. I’m used to that. Everybody wants to prove themselves against a player that is coming from the NBA.”

WORKING OVERTIME

The routine reflected Brandon Ingram’s intent to spend any waking hour playing basketball so that he can excel more in his craft. Only a few hours after the Lakers’ loss to the Clippers on Saturday, Ingram spent his evening attending the D-Fenders game followed by a shooting workout.

The Lakers obviously like Ingram’s dedication. He spent last Saturday evening doing the same thing. But with the Lakers also playing on Sunday against Detroit, how much has Lakers coach Luke Walton become concerned with Ingram burning out?

“With the young guys, work out as much as you want until we can start to see it affecting them,” Walton said. “If Brandon looks like he’s hitting a wall, we would monitor it a little more closely.”

It does not look like that has happened. Ingram entered Sunday’s game shooting 55.1 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from 3-point range in the past seven contests. He also scored in double digits for four consecutive games this month.

“Until then, we want the young guys in there every day getting extra work and getting extra shots up,” Walton said. “What he’s doing has been impressive.”

TAKING ATTENDANCE

Lakers veteran forward Luol Deng started on Sunday after missing Saturday’s game against the Clippers to rest.

Contact the writer: mmedina@scng.com