Hornets’ LaMelo Ball slowed by foul trouble in first career start
LaMelo Ball on Monday earned his first career start, and the rookie provided a needed scoring boost in the second half to help the Charlotte Hornets to a 129-121 overtime victory over the Miami Heat.
Ball finished with 14 points, seven assists and five rebounds but battled through early foul trouble after picking up two quick fouls in the first quarter. He entered halftime with just four points, four assists and three fouls, but scored eight points in the third quarter to help the Hornets go on a bit of a run and take the lead.
While Ball helped out throughout the game, the Hornets received a huge performance off the bench by Malik Monk, who recorded a career-high 36 points after draining nine 3-pointers. He shot 11-of-18 from the field and became the first player off the bench in 20 years to score at least 35 points with nine 3-pointers on 60% shooting.
Afterward, Ball was more concerned with the Hornets winning than earning his first career start. The performance followed up a career night on Saturday, in which he scored 27 points to lead the Hornets to a win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Despite struggling with some early foul calls, Ball managed to stay productive in the game and make some key plays in the second half to hold off Miami.
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