Hornets’ LaMelo Ball plays well against Hawks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Click here to add Sports News as your go-to source.
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball returned to action Thursday night, leading the Hornets to a 133-126 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
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Ball, who has missed the past three games with a bone contusion in his left ankle, got off to a hot start in the first half. He scored 21 points in 16 minutes, including 7/9 shooting from three-point range. He also dished out 8 assists.
Ball scored 28 points on 10/16 shooting, including a season-high eight three-pointers. He added four rebounds and a team-high 13 assists.
Ball has had a rocky start to the season so far, missing 10 of the Hornets’ 27 games. He averaged 19.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game, shooting 39.9% from the field and 31.8% from three-point range.
Thursday night’s show comes at a convenient time for Ball. During his frequent absences from the Hornets lineup, he was mentioned in trade rumors.
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The Hornets scored 80 points in the first half, their second-highest score in a half this season. Charlotte’s long-range shooting lit up the Hawks, shooting 24/49 (49%) from distance for the game. Guard Kon Knueppel hit eight three-pointers and scored 28 points, and forward Brandon Miller hit four three-pointers and scored 26 points.
Hawks forward Jalen Johnson did his best to lead the team’s comeback, scoring 43 points on 16 of 27 shots and grabbing 11 rebounds.
The Hornets (9-18) won back-to-back games for the second time this season.