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The gasps from the crowd at Crypto.com Arena — a mix of shock from Lakers fans and anticipation from fans rooting for the local hero — grew each time LaMelo Ball pulled up from seemingly more and more audacious spots on the court. The Charlotte Hornets star guard held three fingers to his bicep each time he splashed a shot through the net. He stared up into the packed stands to meet the eyes of his hometown crowd.
The former Chino Hills star ignited the Hornets to a 135-117 win over the Lakers on Thursday with 30 points and 11 assists. After a quiet three points in the first half, Ball erupted for 27 points after halftime, including eight made three-pointers on 12 attempts in the second half that gave the L.A. crowd flashbacks of the brace-faced freshman on Chino Hills’ famous undefeated team.
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“We all know LaMelo,” Lakers guard Marcus Smart said. “He’s been playing like that since he was in high school. To us, they’re some crazy shots, but to him, those are his shots.”
Read more: Lakers’ defensive issues once again prove costly in loss to Hornets
Ball, now 10 years removed from the 35-0, national championship season with the Huskies, still plays with the looseness of the freshman who was hooping with his older brothers. But the 24-year-old is now starting to own the maturity of a six-year NBA veteran.
“He’s always been an explosive scorer, explosive passer, but now he knows how to win games when it comes down to, what, two possessions, one possession,” said Hornets guard Miles Bridges, who had 25 points, including five baskets assisted by Ball. “He knows how to make the right play and win the game.”
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Ball, averaging 20.4 points, 7.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds, has a career-high plus-2.8 plus-minus rating this season. Ball’s traditional stats are modest compared to some of his stat-stuffing early seasons when he averaged more than 30 points and eight rebounds in each of his first two years in the NBA, but he is playing more efficiently than ever in some ways. He has a 120.8 offensive rating and a 42.2% assist percentage, which estimates the percentage of a…
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Publish date : 2026-01-16 14:53:00
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