Lonzo Ball gets the best of his brother LaMelo in the Chicago Bulls’ 133-119 win over the Charlotte Hornets — but Nikola Vučević steals the show with 30 points

Thanksgiving was fairly free of trash talk for the Ball family despite Monday night’s impending matchup between brothers Lonzo and LaMelo when the Chicago Bulls hosted the Charlotte Hornets.

Except, of course, for LaVar Ball, the well-known and outspoken patriarch of the family.

“My dad’s always talking,” Lonzo said with a grin after the shootaround ahead of Monday’s game. “As far as me and Melo, we haven’t really said too much ... but obviously tonight we’ll match up against each other and we can’t wait.”

Lonzo faced his younger brother for the first time in a Bulls uniform in the 133-119 win over the Hornets at the United Center, but competition is nothing new for the brothers. The Balls almost always played on the same team as children, but it was a different story when they got home to their own hoop.

Those memories of playing with and against one another shaped Lonzo and LaMelo as players long before they landed on NBA rosters.

“A lot of fun. A lot of backyard battles,” Lonzo said. “Most of the time, we (were) on the same team. We played together for a long time, both of my brothers.”

(Middle brother LiAngelo Ball plays for the G League’s Greensboro Swarm.)

Although the Ball brothers matchup headlined the evening, Nikola Vučević stole the show with his first 30-point performance of the season.

Vučević hadn’t scored more than 20 points in a game since he returned from an 11-day absence due to COVID-19, and he struggled in a seven-point outing against the Miami Heat on Saturday. But the big man found his fire from long range against the Hornets, knocking down all six of his attempts behind the arc.

“Even when I struggled offensively and I couldn’t find my way, (my teammates) were still finding me, they were still looking for me,” Vučević said. “I just had to find my rhythm. ... We’re trying to establish something, and when you feel like you’re not helping as much as you should, it bothers you and annoys you. So that was the main thing for me. I was just hoping to get out of that so I can help the team more.”

The season-high scoreline disguised a somewhat stop-and-start night for the Bulls, who roared out to a 19-point lead only to see the Hornets even the score by the end of the first quarter. The Bulls pulled ahead again by double digits only to let the Hornets back within four points with seven minutes left after going six minutes without an assist to start the fourth quarter.

A timeout called by coach Billy Donovan made the difference for the Bulls. Coby White hit his first 3-pointer of the game to stretch the lead back to double digits, and the Bulls didn’t look back as they closed out the win.

Despite those dry six minutes without an assist, the Bulls finished with a season-high 35 assists, led by fluid ball movement from Ball (eight assists), Alex Caruso (seven) and DeMar DeRozan (six).

The Bulls hit triple figures with two minutes left in the third quarter in a thunderous night for the offense as all three of the team’s top stars — Zach LaVine, Vučević and DeRozan — scored more than 20 points.

LaVine nearly missed the game after sitting out the morning shootaround because of illness. Donovan said his star guard tested negative for COVID-19 but “did not look good” before the game, yet he posted 25 points despite a fever and bloodshot eyes. LaVine tore through the Charlotte defense in the third quarter, smashing down a dunk in transition and cutting his way to three layups to fuel the offense.

“I give him a lot of credit for going out there and playing,” Donovan said. “He certainly without question was not himself, but he did everything he could to try to help our team. I’ve got a lot of respect for him feeling the way he did and still wanting to be out there to play.”

The win required midgame adjustments on defense. P.J. Washington burned the Bulls with 3-pointers in the first half, going 5 of 7 from long distance. But the Bulls adapted their plan to slow the smaller Hornets lineup behind the arc, keeping Washington scoreless through the second half. Terry Rozier led the Hornets with 31 points, while Gordon Hayward added 22.

Although they didn’t lead their teams in scoring, the Ball brothers earned fervent cheers from fans at the United Center whenever they matched up one-on-one at the start of the game.

LaMelo hardly featured in the first half, recording three fouls and no points, but he exploded in the second half to finish with 18 points and 13 assists. Lonzo went 4 of 5 from 3-point range to score 16 points.

The crowd burst into chants of “Lonzo’s better” while LaMelo lined up for his final free throws of the night.

“It was fun to see a crowd get into it early on,” Vučević said. “I’m sure for them, it’s amazing. I know that their dad was there as well tonight, so it must be special. It was fun to watch. Two good players and two brothers, it’s very special to do that. I hope one day my sons get to do that.”

Lonzo and LaMelo faced off for the first time in the NBA last season, logging two games between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Hornets. Both of those were fairly nondescript matchups in lackluster seasons — the Pelicans didn’t make the playoffs, while the Hornets were bounced out of the play-in tournament in their first game.

But after a trade brought Lonzo to Chicago, this season is different for both of the Balls. The Bulls and Hornets are elbowing for spots in the upper level of a tightly contested Eastern Conference with 13 wins apiece entering Monday. Both teams have been successful in part because of the impact of the Ball brothers.

Lonzo entered Monday’s game averaging 12.3 points and 4.7 assists, bringing a spark on both ends of the court to complement the Bulls’ star trio of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević. The Hornets offense is fully in the hands of LaMelo, who was averaging 19.4 points and 8.0 assists.

Lonzo said two aspects of LaMelo’s game stand out to him the most — his uniqueness and his work ethic.

“He can play how he wants to play,” Lonzo said. “He’s been doing that his whole life. It’s a different kind of style of play.”

The brothers spend time together in the offseason, working out at their home in Chino Hills, Calif., and crafting their game. Despite their shared paths from Chino Hills to the NBA, Lonzo and LaMelo developed distinct styles in their respective roles. Lonzo is rapidly developing into an elite NBA defender, while LaMelo’s crafty passes have made an immediate impression in his first two seasons.

There’s one common thread between both brothers’ games — a sense of selflessness with the ball in their hands.

LaMelo was seventh in the league in both assists and steals (1.864 per game) entering Monday. Lonzo ranked eighth in steals (1.857), and his defensive energy fuels the Bulls offense. He has quickly gained recognition for his ability to launch passes like a quarterback to teammates under the opposite rim after steals and rebounds.

Lonzo credits this to his father’s teaching. For the brothers, spreading the ball around is just another part of the family business.

“That’s my pops teaching us how to play,” Lonzo said. “I’m always looking up the floor and finding the open man.”