Is LaMelo Ball playing tonight against Portland Trail Blazers? Latest on Hornets star’s availability (Jan. 24)

LaMelo Ball returned to the Charlotte Hornets’ injury report ahead of their game on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers. The point guard is listed as questionable due to a right wrist sprain. Ball is at risk of missing his second game in January.

The Hornets are coming off a 132-120 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, a defeat that snapped a season-high three-game winning streak. Charlotte will have trouble bouncing back from that one if its franchise cornerstone is sidelined with an injury.

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What happened to LaMelo Ball?

The former All-Star guard played 34 minutes in the loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. He finished the game with 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Ball had the best +/- rating among the Hornets' starters with -9.

The exact moment when Ball sprained his right wrist is unclear. Hornets coach Charles Lee only removed him from the game once the outcome was decided. Although Ball didn't appear to be in pain, he occasionally held his wrist during the Grizzlies game.

The Hornets are likely to be extremely cautious with LaMelo's injury, especially since this is the same wrist that required surgery in 2021 after he fractured it.

If the injury is serious, the Charlotte Hornets will certainly sideline him. If he doesn't play against the Blazers, fans will hope he's ready for Saturday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

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LaMelo Ball topped the Eastern Conference guards in fan voting

The All-Star game starters have been revealed, but LaMelo Ball did not make it into the lineup. Ball dominated fan voting among Eastern Conference guards with 2.4 million votes. Donovan Mitchell, who was selected as a starter, was a distant second with 1.9 million votes.

Ball ranked third in player voting and seventh in media voting. His low placement in both categories prevented him from securing a starting position. Instead, Mitchell and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson will be the starting guards for the All-Star game.

The youngest of the Ball brothers played 58 games over the last two seasons because of ankle and wrist injuries. This season, he has already appeared in 29 games for the Charlotte Hornets. The last time he was fully healthy, he made it to the All-Star game in 2022.

Ball still has a chance to make it to the prestigious event if the coaches vote him into a reserve spot.