When starter Terry Rozier went down in the first half with an ankle injury, the Charlotte Hornets were forced to turn to guard LaMelo Ball in the second half and the rookie came through in a big way.
Ball scored a career-high 27 points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals to help lead the Hornets to a 126-114 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The Hornets started Ball to begin the third quarter, and Ball responded by scoring 18 points in the second half to put the Bucks away.
On the other side of the floor, reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 34 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists while Jrue Holiday chipped in 21 points. Antetokounmpo appeared to bang his knee in the fourth quarter, but said afterward that he felt fine.
Meanwhile, Ball became just the fourth rookie in team history to record at least 25 points, five assists and five rebounds in a game, and is the second rookie this season (Tyrese Maxey) to reach those numbers.
“I thought overall he was very aggressive tonight,” Hornets head coach James Borrego said after the game. “He’s fearless, he’s aggressive, he’s attacking the paint, he’s getting to the free-throw line, he’s making plays for others, he kept the pressure on Milwaukee all night and he did it with poise. … He’s a special kid, he’s only getting better. But I thought he handled himself and managed the game tonight. He did a great job of balancing aggressiveness, poise and making the right play.”
The play of Ball certainly helped spark the Hornets once Rozier went down. He has often been tasked with coming off the bench this season and injecting life into the team, and he did that once again on Saturday.
Afterward, Ball took a business-like approach to his career night.
“It’s pretty much the same approach as always – go out there and try my best and have a high energy level,” Ball said. “I pretty much was just going out there and taking what the defense gave me.”
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The recent surge may have come at the right time as the Hornets may need to rely on Ball more heavily following the injury to Rozier.
The veteran was ruled out of returning to the game after he suffered a right ankle sprain in the second quarter. He had to be helped up off the court, but was able to slowly walk back to the locker room under his own power.
In his place, Ball logged 19 minutes in the second half.
Afterward, Borrego declined to comment on who would start at point guard on Monday if Rozier is unable to play. The extent of the injury is not yet known and Borrego didn’t want to speculate on his condition.
Charlotte appears to have a starting-caliber option to utilize in Ball should the injury keep Rozier out of the lineup and the team may very well need to call upon him in the coming days.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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