After weeks turning into even months of struggling in the National Basketball League, LaMelo Ball pieced together a full 40 minutes last week, leading to a star-like stat line of 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds in 32 minutes of play in the Hawks win over Cairns.
While Ball showed his ability in flashes during the season, he had been unable to piece together a full contest. On Saturday, that finally changed as the young guard showed all of his skills in the win.
Illawarra head coach Matt Flinn continued his tradition of complimenting Ball after wins in his post-game press conference.
“Everyone saw tonight what we see in practice. He’s very talented and he gets talked about in the draft circles for a reason because he can do things and get to spaces on the floor that some others can’t. He’s been challenged a lot in this league with his handles and a lot of people have tried to get after him and he keeps ticking those boxes. I was more pleased tonight, we know what we can do offensively, but I was more pleased tonight the way he locked into the defensive scout and showed he can play legitimate minutes and guard some quality players.”
Flinn has talked repeatedly about Ball’s skills and the flashes he showed in practice. Ball finally was able to make good on those high praises on the big stage. The key for Ball moving forward will be building off this performance. Matters will only get tougher for Illawarra as they meet the Sydney Kings who sit top of the table in the NBL.
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