On Saturday, LaMelo Ball became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double as the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 113-105.
Ball, at 19 years and 140 days, produced 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists off the bench to set the record, which was previously held by Markelle Fultz, who was 19 years and 317 days when he accomplished the feat on April 11, 2018.
The third overall pick notched the achievement in the fourth quarter after hitting P.J. Washington for a jump shot. He did the majority of his damage in the second quarter, in which he recorded seven points and five assists to help the Hornets carry a nine-point lead into halftime.
“He’s a special player, he’s not fazed by the moment,” Hornets head coach James Borrego said. “It’s like he’s been doing this for a number of years already and he was special tonight — playmaking, shot-making, on the boards, made the right decisions. … I love the kid. More than anything, I love his spirit. I love what he brings to our locker room, our organization and I’m just proud of him. He’s fantastic, he was fantastic tonight.”
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Ball nearly set the triple-double record on Friday after tallying 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists against his brother, Lonzo, and the New Orleans Pelicans. Behind the play of Ball, the Hornets have now won three straight to improve to 5-5 on the season.
Following the performance, Ball is now averaging 12.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals in 10 games. He ranks second in scoring, first in assists and first in steals among all rookies this season.
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