The Charlotte Hornets star point guard LaMelo Ball returned to the court for Friday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs after previously missing 20 games due to a right ankle sprain.
Ball put up a stellar display, finishing the night with 28 points, three rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough for the Hornets to avoid a 135-99 defeat, which stretched their loss streak to four games.
“It’s always good to play basketball, but not like that,” Ball said after the game. “But it was cool to get back out there.”
Ball initially went down in the November 28 game against the Orlando Magic. He sprained his right ankle, the same one he underwent surgery on that caused him to end the 2022-23 campaign early.
When healthy, Ball played on an All-Star level this season. In 16 games, he has averaged a career-high 24.9 points to go with 5.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.6 steals. The 22-year-old is also shooting a career-best 43.9% from the floor.
The Hornets will hope that Ball’s return can finally get them playing more consistently. Charlotte lost 17 out of 20 games that Ball missed and is currently sitting at No. 13 in the Eastern Conference with an 8-28 record.
