On Wednesday, Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego praised LaMelo Ball’s growth to start the season. Ball responded by turning in his best game of the young season to lead the Hornets to a massive 118-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
Ball scored 22 career-level points, eight rebounds, five assists, one theft and one shutout in 30 minutes of work. The 19-year-old scored 15 of his 22 total points in the first half when he finished with a 7-of-10 shot from the field, including a 4-of-5 from a 3-point field .
The third overall pick was the first Hornets rookie from Kemba Walker in 2012 to record at least 15 points, five rebounds and five in-game assists, and he did so by leading Charlotte in scoring.
“LaMelo shows growth in every game,” Borrego said. “Tonight, 30 minutes with 22 points. He had his fingerprints throughout that game, rebounds and five assists. He played with poise, confidence. It was a quiet force out there for us. ”
Charlotte led Dallas 68-57 at halftime but responded by blowing the game open to start the third quarter. They ran 14-0 to start the second half, pushing the win to as many as 31 points and keeping the Mavericks to a 16.7% shot in the third period.
Borrego praised the second unit, led by Ball, and he considers them one of the best pieces on the team. The group is still becoming more comfortable with each other, something that will keep going every time the team steps on the court.
“We didn’t play basketball in a minute,” said Ball. “Of course, it will take some time to get used to it again. I feel that the more the games go on, the more chemistry we can get together. ”
Overall, Ball played his best basketball of the season and helped the Hornets to a phenomenal win in the process. It will only continue to improve with each game and those figures lead to even more shows like the one on Wednesday.