Ball (ankle) has been ruled out Sunday against the Jazz.
Ball will miss his first game of the season due to a right ankle issue. Given his history of injuries, the Hornets may be holding him out as a precaution on the second night of a back-to-back set. Ball has had a strong start to the season, averaging 23.3 points, 9.8 assists, and 7.8 rebounds. Expect him to return Tuesday against the Pelicans.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Available to play
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Ball (ankle) is available to play in Saturday's game against the Timberwolves, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Ball was upgraded to probable earlier in the day, and now coach Charles Lee has given him the green light to play. Any time Ball pops up on the injury report it's a big concern given his past issues staying on the floor, so it will be interesting to see how he holds up Saturday.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Likely to play Saturday
Rotowire
Ball (ankle) has been upgraded to probable for Saturday's game against the Timberwolves.
Ball is dealing with a right ankle impingement but is likely to suit up against Minnesota. The 24-year-old point guard has been productive through five regular-season games, averaging 24.4 points, 10.2 assists, 8.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 33.4 minutes per contest.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Questionable for Saturday
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Ball (ankle) is questionable to play in Saturday's game against the Timberwolves, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
After an impressive all-around performance in Thursday's game against the Magic, Ball is dealing with an ankle issue. If he's unable to play, the team will likely pivot to Collin Sexton and Tre Mann to shoulder the load in the backcourt.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Double-doubles in loss
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Ball racked up 17 points (8-19 FG, 1-9 3Pt), seven rebounds, 13 assists and two steals in 36 minutes during Thursday's 123-107 loss to Orlando.
This was Ball's third double-double of the season and the 70th of his career, which moved him to the No. 8 spot on Charlotte's all-time double-doubles list. He also moved into 10th place on Charlotte's all-time steals list Thursday evening. Ball is flirting with first-round value on the season, and he's showing no signs of slowing down.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Triple-doubles in win
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Ball erupted for 38 points (13-25 FG, 5-12 3Pt, 7-7 FT), 13 rebounds, 13 assists and three steals in 35 minutes during Sunday's 139-113 win over the Wizards.
The Wizards had absolutely zero answers for Ball, who got whatever he wanted all game long. He converted deep threes, got to the line with ease, and went to work battling for boards amongst the trees. Ball has gotten off to a scorching start this season, and if he can maintain this pace, he should easily nab his second All-Star selection.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Leads Hornets with 27 points
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Ball posted 27 points (8-18 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 7-8 FT), nine rebounds, eight assists, one block and three steals across 34 minutes during Saturday's 125-121 loss to the 76ers.
Ball led the Hornets in scoring and steals in the losing effort against Philadelphia on Saturday night. The 24-year-old is averaging 23.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game over two outings to begin the 2025-26 season. Ball will look to keep things going against the Wizards on Sunday in the second night of a back-to-back.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Scores 20 points with eight dimes
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Ball recorded 20 points (7-15 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 2-5 FT), eight assists, two rebounds, one steal and three turnovers in 34 minutes during Wednesday's 136-117 win over Brooklyn.
While Ball wasn't great at the charity stripe, he did do an excellent job of distributing the rock, and he didn't commit his first turnover until late into the fourth quarter. He'll be a reliable source of points, triples and dimes this season, so if he can manage to stay healthy, he could be in for a career year.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Removed from injury report
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Ball (knee) is not on the injury report for Wednesday's season opener against Brooklyn.
Ball's knee contusion cost him the end of the preseason, but the injury proved to be of minimal concern. The superstar guard will be trying to play at least 50 games this year for the first time since 2021-22. Last regular season, Ball averaged 25.2 points, 7.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per contest in 47 games.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Sitting preseason finale
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Ball won't play in Friday's preseason finale against the Knicks due to a right knee contusion.
Ball notched 23 points (7-16 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 5-5 FT), eight assists, five rebounds, one steal and five turnovers in 28 minutes of Wednesday's 145-116 preseason win over the Grizzlies. However, after banging knees with an opponent Wednesday, he'll take a seat for the preseason finale, likely due to precautionary reasons. He'll have a few days off to rest and rehab before the Hornets open the regular season at home against the Nets on Oct. 22.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Puts up 23 points
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Ball notched 23 points (7-16 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 5-5 FT), eight assists, five rebounds, one steal and five turnovers in 28 minutes of Wednesday's 145-116 preseason win over the Grizzlies.
Ball was outstanding in this game, and he showcased his creativity and flair on several instances. He was challenged by the franchise to become more of a leader this season, and he spent a ton of time in the gym prepping his body for the campaign after some injury issues in the past. Things are looking up for Charlotte's franchise point guard.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Scores team-high 20 points
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Ball finished with 20 points (8-13 FG, 4-8 3Pt), six assists, three rebounds and one block in 23 minutes during Saturday's preseason win over the Mavericks.
Ball was productive again Saturday, continuing what has been a positive preseason. The oft-injured guard has played in all three preseason games, an indication he is fully healthy. After years of mediocrity, Charlotte will be hoping its superstars can remain healthy, especially in a weakened Eastern Conference. Despite the clear risk, Ball remains an elite point guard as long as he can stay on the floor.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Drops 15 points in loss
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Ball compiled 15 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 FT, 4-6 3Pt), five rebounds, four assists and a steal over 25 minutes in Thursday's 122-116 preseason loss to the Thunder.
While durability has always been a concern for Ball, he appears to be 100 percent after undergoing surgeries on his right wrist and right ankle over five months ago. He's logged more than 47 games only once during his five years in the pros, so there is a risk-reward element to taking Ball high in fantasy drafts. The team added excellent backcourt support in Collin Sexton and Spencer Dinwiddie, and both will be on call if Ball slips to the injury report at any point this season.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Undergoes surgery on wrist, ankle
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The Hornets announced Wednesday that Ball has undergone successful surgeries on his right wrist and right ankle, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Ball is expected to resume full basketball activities in five to six weeks, which is a good sign for the Hornets moving forward. The rising star posted a strong 2024-25 campaign, averaging a career-high 25.2 points per game to go along with 4.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 40.5 percent from the floor and 33.9 percent from beyond the arc.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Out for season
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Ball will miss the rest of the season while he soon undergoes two minor procedures to address ankle and wrist injuries, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
The ankle issue looks to be the more pressing concern for Ball, who had been listed as out for Friday's game in Toronto due to a right ankle impingement. The fifth-year point guard is expected to be back to full health for the start of training camp in the fall. Ball played in 47 games this season, averaging a career-high 25.2 points per game to go along with 4.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 3.8 three-pointers and 1.1 steals in 32.0 minutes per contest while shooting 40.5 percent from the floor and 33.9 percent from beyond the arc.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Scores 25 points, fouls out
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Ball ended with 25 points (9-13 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 4-4 FT), one rebound and nine assists over 29 minutes before fouling out of Tuesday's 111-104 loss to the Magic.
Ball fouled out in the final seconds of the fourth quarter in another loss for the Hornets, but the star floor general continues to make a significant impact on both ends of the court for a struggling Charlotte team. Ball has been instrumental for the Hornets all season long as a scorer or playmaker. While the lack of efficiency from a shooting perspective can impact his value in some formats, he remains an excellent fantasy asset. He has a very high ceiling whenever he's deemed available due to his sky-high usage rate. He's averaging 21.5 points, 8.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game since the beginning of March.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Double-doubles in loss to Miami
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Ball finished Sunday's 122-105 loss to the Heat with 18 points (6-19 FG, 2-10 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds, 11 assists and two steals across 34 minutes.
Ball didn't play against the Thunder on Friday but returned to action Sunday and notched another double-double, his third across his last six appearances. The star floor general remains one of the Hornets' most reliable fantasy options, but his upside can be somewhat limited due to the resting patterns the Hornets might employ in the final weeks of the regular season. Ball is averaging 21.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game over his last 10 appearances.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Removed from injury report
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Ball (rest) has been cleared to play in Sunday's game against the Heat.
Ball will get back on the floor for the Hornets on Sunday after resting during Friday's loss to the Thunder. The star guard has struggled in the shooting department this season but is otherwise having a career year, averaging a career-high 25.4 points per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.2 steals.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Won't play Friday
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Ball (rest) will not play Friday against the Thunder.
Ball recorded 25 points (10-23 FG, 5-10 3Pt), five rebounds and eight assists across 28 minutes during Thursday's 115-98 win over New York, and now he'll sit out the second leg of this back-to-back set for injury management as per usual. The Hornets will be very shorthanded Friday, meaning guys like Nick Smith, Josh Green, DaQuan Jeffries and Wendell Moore could see healthy workloads.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Comes close to double-double
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Ball produced 25 points (10-23 FG, 5-10 3Pt), five rebounds and eight assists over 28 minutes during Thursday's 115-98 win over New York.
Ball didn't have his best performance in this win, but the electric point guard finished just two assists away from a double-double while putting up solid numbers in the rebounding category. Ball, who returned from a one-game absence, has reached the 25-point mark in three of his last four regular-season appearances. He should remain a key contributor on offense for the Hornets as long as he remains on the hardwood -- Ball hasn't been playing both halves of back-to-back sets in March.
