Ball had 14 points (6-16 FG, 2-7 3Pt), four rebounds, four assists and one steal over 22 minutes before fouling out of Tuesday's 103-101 win over the Trail Blazers.
Ball couldn't escape the referee's whistle, limited to just 22 minutes as a result of foul trouble. Although he eventually fouled out, Ball was still able to end with a serviceable fantasy line, helping the Hornets to an impressive come-from-behind victory. Look for Ball to make amends when Charlotte travels to Sacramento on Wednesday.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Ties career high in win
Rotowire
Ball contributed 15 points (5-19 FG, 4-13 3Pt, 1-1 FT), nine assists, five rebounds, five steals and one block across 29 minutes in Tuesday's 117-90 win over the Mavericks.
Ball struggled mightily with efficiency, though he still finished as Charlotte's second-leading scorer. The star point guard also led the Hornets in assists and steals, matching his career high in swipes. With his five steals Tuesday, the sixth-year pro passed Kendall Gill for eighth place on the Hornets' all-time steals leaderboard. He has tallied at least one steal in six of his seven appearances since the All-Star break, averaging 18.9 points, 7.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest over that stretch.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Returns Tuesday
Rotowire
Ball (undisclosed) returned to Tuesday's game against the Mavericks with 3:35 remaining in the second quarter, per the broadcast.
It's unclear why Ball exited to the locker room with the training staff earlier in the second. However, he quickly returned to the bench and was cleared to check back in.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Shoots high volume from three
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Ball had 16 points (6-16 FG, 4-12 3Pt), three rebounds, seven assists and one steal across 23 minutes during Tuesday's 131-99 victory over the Bulls.
After sinking a career-high 10 threes in his last outing, Ball wasn't shy and attempted another 12 against Chicago. He sank four from deep, while matching his season average for assists. Including newcomer Coby White, the Hornets have five players averaging 18 points or more this year, giving Ball the luxury of feeding his teammates or looking for his own shot on a nightly basis.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Makes 10 threes in win
Rotowire
Ball went for 37 points (12-20 FG, 10-15 3Pt, 3-3 FT), eight rebounds, seven assists and a steal in 27 minutes during Sunday's 129-112 win over the Wizards.
Ball caught fire Sunday, raining in a career-high 10 three-pointers, matching the Hornets' single-game franchise record. His historic performance was cemented on a string of heat checks, during which he connected on four threes in under 100 seconds of game time. His electric shooting performance was rounded out by eight rebounds and a game-high seven assists. Ball's scoring effort is a welcome sign for fantasy managers and Hornets fans alike, as he had averaged just 16.5 points per game on 35.2 percent from the field over his previous 16 games.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Inefficient in Friday's loss
Rotowire
Ball logged 18 points (4-17 FG, 2-10 3Pt, 8-8 FT), six assists and two rebounds over 27 minutes during the Hornets' 118-113 loss to the Cavaliers on Friday.
Ball finished tied with Brandon Miller as the Hornets' second-leading scorer behind rookie Kon Knueppel (33 points). However, Ball made just 23.5 percent of his field-goal attempts, and his stat line looked better only because of his eight made free throws. He has connected on 39.6 percent of his field-goal attempts this season, though that number has dropped to 34.8 percent (including 30.0 percent from three on 11.4 3PA/G) since Feb. 2.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Poor showing from field
Rotowire
Ball notched 11 points (5-14 FG, 1-6 3Pt), seven rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 31 minutes during Thursday's 105-101 loss to the Rockets.
Ball was involved in a car accident over the All-Star break, but fortunately, he and the other person escaped without any major injuries. The Hornets are currently one of the hottest teams in the NBA and are looking to sneak into the playoffs, and that bodes well for Ball's fantasy outlook down the stretch.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Strikes for 24 against Atlanta
Rotowire
Ball produced 24 points (8-23 FG, 7-18 3Pt, 1-1 FT), four rebounds, six assists and one steal across 32 minutes during Wednesday's 110-107 win over the Hawks.
The 24-year-old guard scored 20-plus points for the fourth time in the last five games and the sixth time in the last 10. Ball's workload and scoring have taken a step back in 2025-26, but over that 10-game stretch, he's still averaging 19.2 points, 6.8 assists, 3.9 boards, 3.8 threes and 0.9 steals in 28.9 minutes.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Scores 20 in victory
Rotowire
Ball posted 20 points (7-19 FG, 5-12 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds and four assists over 29 minutes during Thursday's 109-99 victory over the Rockets.
It wasn't a highly efficient night from Ball, but he managed to sink five triples in the win. Ball has made multiple threes in eight consecutive games. Now in his sixth season, Ball is averaging 19.1 points per game, which is the lowest since his rookie year, while his rebounding and assist numbers are nearly identical to last season.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Available to return
Rotowire
Ball (eye) is available to return to Monday's game against the Pelicans.
After being diagnosed with a right eye laceration due to a collision with head coach Charles Lee during the first quarter, Ball is good to go for the remainder of Monday's contest following a visit to the locker room. The star guard should be able to handle his normal duties, as there's no word that he'll be restricted in any way.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Sniffs double-double
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Ball ended with 22 points (8-17 FG, 6-10 3Pt), three rebounds, nine assists and one block over 31 minutes during Thursday's 123-121 win over Dallas.
Ball was locked in from three-point range and drained at least six threes for the seventh time this season, and he ended just one assist away from recording what would've been his third double-double of the month. Ball has been productive all season long, and his January numbers have been quite solid, but there's been some regression compared to the numbers he'd been posting in recent months. Over 16 games in January, he's averaging 17.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.5 three-pointers made. To put things into context, he was averaging 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game between October and December.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Hits for 20-point double-double
Rotowire
Ball registered 20 points (8-19 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 1-1 FT), two rebounds, 11 assists and one steal over 32 minutes during Saturday's 119-115 win over the Wizards.
The double-double was Ball's eighth of the season and his second in January. The 24-year-old guard has scored at least 20 points in four of the last nine games, averaging 18.7 points, 6.9 assists, 4.6 boards, 3.8 threes and 1.1 steals over that stretch.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Available to play
Rotowire
Ball (thumb) is available for Thursday's game in Orlando.
Ball is dealing with a bruised thumb on his shooting hand, but he'll push through the pain and make himself available for Thursday's game. Ball came off the bench in Wednesday's loss to the Cavs, but he'll likely be back in the first unit for Thursday's game.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Questionable for Thursday
Rotowire
Ball is questionable for Thursday's game against the Magic due to a right thumb contusion, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Ball came off the bench Wednesday against the Cavaliers and logged 22 minutes in an effort to stay fresh for Thursday. He walked away with a thumb injury, however, putting his status in jeopardy. If Ball is unable to play, the Hornets will likely need Collin Sexton to shoulder a heavy workload.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Not starting Wednesday
Rotowire
Ball is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Cavs.
The Hornets have been bringing Ball off the bench in the first game of back-to-back sets to help conserve his minutes, and it looks like that trend will continue Wednesday. Through two games as a reserve this season, Ball owns averages of 24.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 4.0 triples and 1.5 steals in 23.9 minutes per contest.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Not starting Saturday
Rotowire
Ball won't start Saturday's game against the Warriors.
Ball will slide to the second unit in the front end of this back-to-back set, which is presumably to monitor his playing time ahead of Sunday's contest against Denver. As a result, Sion James will get the starting nod. Ball came off the bench in a loss to Indiana on Jan. 8 -- the second leg of a back-to-back -- when he contributed 33 points, eight assists, three rebounds and three steals over 27 minutes.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Strong outing in convincing win
Rotowire
Ball registered 30 points (10-20 FG, 9-17 3Pt, 1-1 FT), six rebounds, 11 assists and one block in 29 minutes during Thursday's 135-117 win over the Lakers.
Ball scored at least 30 points for the second time in four games and for only the fourth time all season. He also dished out double-digit assists for the first time since Dec. 18. Ball is averaging 21.5 points, 7.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals over his past 15 appearances, but he's playing only 26.8 minutes per game during that stretch.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Paces team with 25 points
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Ball contributed 25 points (11-24 FG, 3-11 3Pt), nine rebounds, five assists and one steal across 32 minutes during Monday's 117-109 loss to the Clippers.
Ball scored seven consecutive points in the third quarter to put the game within striking distance, but the Clippers were ultimately able to hold off the Hornets, who have now lost three of their last four contests. After an injury-plagued start to the season, Ball has managed to rattle off 14 consecutive appearances, averaging 20.9 points, 6.8 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals over the span.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Drops 33 points with eight dimes
Rotowire
Ball popped off for 33 points (12-24 FG, 7-15 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight assists, three rebounds and three steals over 27 minutes during Thursday's 114-112 loss to the Pacers.
With Thursday's game coming as the second leg of a back-to-back set, Ball was brought off the bench in an effort to conserve his minutes, and it'll be interesting to see if that continues in future back-to-back sets. The reserve role didn't impact Ball's statistical production, as he secured his third 30-plus point performance of the season and fell just one triple shy of matching his season high in three-point makes. Ball will look to keep rolling Saturday with a favorable matchup against the Jazz.
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Hornets' LaMelo Ball: Shifting to bench
Rotowire
Ball isn't in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Pacers.
Ball was given the green light to play shortly before tipoff after shaking a probable tag, but he'll take on a new role Thursday night. This marks the first time he'll be utilized off the bench this season, and it comes after he's had his fair share of shooting struggles, hitting at a clip of 40.4 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from deep over his last four matchups.
