So when Ali took an outlet pass from Aaron Holiday and went in for a layup while being fouled late in the second half, he let out what might have felt like a few weeks' worth of frustration.
Ali flexed both of his arms and gently rolled his head before chest-bumping Holiday after a pivotal play during the Bruins' 75-68 victory over Oregon State at Pauley Pavilion.
Ali's basket and subsequent free throw gave UCLA a 70-60 lead, a double-digit cushion the Bruins would need amid some epic struggles at the free throw line.
"It's never easy to watch," UCLA coach Steve Alford said of the repeated misses, "because it knocks you out of rhythm.