{"id":648780,"date":"2026-03-09T11:31:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T11:31:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/648780\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T11:31:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T11:31:16","slug":"lamelo-balls-22-points-pace-hornets-in-loss-to-phoenix-suns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/648780\/","title":{"rendered":"LaMelo Ball\u2019s 22 points pace Hornets in loss to Phoenix Suns"},"content":{"rendered":"

LaMelo Ball<\/a>\u2019s trademark jumper was on display again Sunday night in the desert.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Peacock, a nationally-televised audience got to witness the Charlotte Hornets<\/a> star hoist them from a variety of spots on the Mortgage Matchup Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people see some of the one-footed threes and they are kind of like, \u2018Uh,\u2019\u201d coach Charles Lee said. \u201cBut he works on them, he practices them and I believe it\u2019s going in every time he shoots it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ball began hot and the Hornets seemed to be on their way to keeping the good times during their recent excursions going. But some stagnation, frequent offensive cold snaps and too many turnovers doomed the Hornets in a 111-99 loss to the Phoenix Suns.<\/p>\n

\"Brandon Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets reacts to a foul call during the first half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Christian Petersen Getty Images <\/p>\n

That snapped Charlotte\u2019s franchise-record 10-game road winning streak.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole night, they (the Suns) really amped up their physicality,\u201d Lee said. \u201cEarly in the game we had a nice rhythm going, and then all of the sudden as they got down they just started being a little bit more active.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir overall defensive activity was the thing that bothered us the most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ball\u2019s performance was emblematic of the Hornets (32-33) as a whole.<\/p>\n

After beginning 3-for-4 from the field, he made only one of his next seven attempts prior to heating up again en route to connecting on 9 of 19 shots and tossing in a team-best 22 points.<\/p>\n

Still, Ball \u2014 who\u2019s seventh in the NBA in assists at 7.3 per game \u2014 is affecting the game without taking the same volume of shot attempts he did during his initial five seasons.<\/p>\n

\"Jalen Jalen Green of the Phoenix Suns drives the ball past LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets during the first half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center. Christian Petersen Getty Images <\/p>\n

Ball is one of four players averaging at least 15 points, seven assists and three made 3-pointers per game this season, joining Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic, Cleveland\u2019s James Harden and Denver\u2019s Jamal Murray.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s done a phenomenal job this year of just playing off of his teammates,\u201d Lee said. \u201cIt\u2019s good to see his shot distribution, shot profile change a little with the addition of Kon (Knueppel), and having Brandon (Miller) out there a little bit more and Miles (Bridges) and these other guys kind of stretch the floor for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve loved seeing him get a couple of catch-and-shoots and then from there, once he sees a couple go in that\u2019s when he starts getting the off-the-dribble threes and the stepback three in an iso situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what else the Hornets had to say of note in Phoenix:<\/p>\n

On Moussa Diabate\u2019s defensive improvement<\/p>\n

\u201cHis motor is incredible,\u201d Lee said. \u201cHis energy level, his competitiveness allows him to just be everywhere on the floor at all times. And it\u2019s been great for us. It becomes contagious if you have a guy like that that\u2019s out there giving it his all you\u2019re like, \u2018Hey, I\u2019ve got to keep up with that guy.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where you need more people that think like Moussa, play defense like Moussa, that have the versatility. As much as he can switch, he can also play centerfield and he can also do other things. He\u2019s coming over and blocking shots and helping us rebound. We are super grateful to have a guy like that, that really makes it a contagious edge for our group.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Devin Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns attempts a shot against Moussa Diabate of the Charlotte Hornets during the first half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center. Christian Petersen Getty Images On the Hornets\u2019 gap defense<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talk a ton about defense at practice,\u201d Lee said. \u201cOur assistant coaches do defensive work during their individual workouts and I think we are just starting to see the fruits of our labor. Everyone has been more engaged, more competitive, more intentional with their activity defensively.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of times we were in the right spots early on. And now we\u2019re in the right spots but also adding some activity with it. In our pick-and-roll defense, we are closing the gap a little bit more and actually trying to seal some of the passes \u2026 So our overall engagement and intentionality has gotten better.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Ryan Kalkbrenner<\/p>\n

\u201cRyan was a force defensively,\u201d Lee said, \u201ctrying to come over and block some shots and help us rebound, screening. And his seam reads and offensive rebounding was really good. He gave us a threat in the paint.\u201d<\/p>\n

On trying to turn it around in Portland on Tuesday<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve just got to continue to stay together, focus on the right things,\u201d Lee said. \u201cFocus on all the great habits that we have built and we just kind of let go of it a little bit (Sunday) in some of the more adverse situations. Our group always responds, so looking forward to getting after it in the next game.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Roderick Boone<\/a><\/p>\n

The Charlotte Observer<\/p>\n

Roderick Boone joined the Observer in September 2021 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and NBA. In his more than two decades of writing about the world of sports, he\u2019s chronicled everything from high school rodeo to a major league baseball no-hitter to the Super Bowl to the Finals. The Long Island native has deep North Carolina roots and enjoys watching \u201cThe Fresh Prince of Bel Air\u201d endlessly.
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