LaMelo Ball showed why some consider him an All-Star snub during the Charlotte Hornets’ win. The Los Angeles Lakers hoped to earn a home victory in the first game back from the break. In a standalone game, the visitors prevailed over the home side 100-97.
The former Chino Hills High School player led his team in what proved to be something of a strong homecoming performance. Ball scored 27 points. But more importantly, he made clutch plays down the stretch when his team needed it most. This collective group out-executed down the stretch and outplayed the better on-paper team.
LA held the lead throughout most of the contest. However, coach Charles Lee proved to lead his team better than his counterpart down the stretch on the day. In particular, during the fourth quarter, Charlotte targeted Luka Doncic in the pick-and-roll to success.
Ball had the ball in his hands during the final possessions and made the right plays, even when a double team forced the rock to someone else. Notably, Nick Smith Jr. nailed a late three after seeing the late shot come his way go down from the perimeter passing.
The California native guard then beat his guy one-on-one. He drove through the lane and made an impressive underhanded shot from a close distance to give his side a more-or-less game-sealing four-point advantage with less than 15 seconds left.
Scoring in such spectacular fashion illustrates what Charlotte has in him. LaMelo is must-see entertainment. He plays so freely and without concern for what is typically frowned upon in a professional setting.
The Charlotte Hornets win came through him and Miles Bridges willing their side against one of the more known duos in the league. Listed as a small forward, the former Michigan State player chipped in 29 points. Furthermore, he knocked down multiple threes at just the right time. They especially fell for him when the visitors were trailing. His scoring efforts went a long way to both keeping the game close and ultimately mounting the comeback.
Takeaways for the losing side in the Charlotte Hornets win
This is a game that JJ Redick’s team needed to keep a hold of. Granted, they looked in control for large portions of it. However, there are some areas of concern. Firstly, defense will likely be a challenge with their two current stars.
LeBron James is in his 40s, and Luka Doncic is coming off a calf injury. But even at full health, the Slovenian isn’t exactly known for his defensive lateral quickness. Moreover, the offense looked too disjointed throughout the game.
The box score may show that the hosts managed one fewer turnover at 18, but this is misleading. A lot of passes found their way to the stands. This group is clearly learning each other’s tendencies. Miscommunication can be fixed. But being able to read in-game situations the same way usually takes time. This will become especially needed against the better teams.
There’s still time for this Los Angeles side to figure it out. Their next test will be against another team in which they will be favored. They travel to Portland for a back-to-back. They’ll hope to clean up some of the mistakes and miscues that led to a Charlotte Hornets win.
