LaMelo Ball Stats Tonight: How did Hornets star fare against Cleveland Cavaliers? (Mar. 7)

LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets continued a five-game road trip with a matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Charlotte, 0-3 in the season series against the team with the best record in the NBA, looked to break through on Friday. The Hornets hoped to pull off an upset without a few of Ball’s supporting cast.

The star point guard opened the game with a nifty pass to Miles Bridges for an easy layup. He finished the first quarter with five points and three assists to help his team tie the Cavs 27-27 at the end of the first quarter.

Ball made two 3-pointers in the second period with two assists. He ran the offense well, but his teammates could not consistently capitalize on the opportunities he set. The Charlotte Hornets lost the quarter 36-25 to trail 63-52 at halftime.

LaMelo Ball went 0-for-2 in the third quarter. He contributed two points behind two free throws. Ball orchestrated the offense that beat the Cavs 31-24. The point guard's playmaking helped the Hornets to a 5-for-9 clip inside the paint. Charlotte cut the deficit to 87-83 entering the fourth quarter.

Ball started the fourth frame and promptly delivered a pass that led to a Tidjane Salaun 3-pointer. Charlotte Hornets coach Charles Lee took him out with still 10:49 in the period. The point guard sat as his team uncorked a 21-8 run to lead 104-95 with 5:39 remaining.

Lee sent LaMelo Ball back with 4:11 left in the quarter as the Cleveland Cavaliers began to rally. He promptly missed a 29-footer. After going 0-for-2, the coach benched him for Nick Smith Jr. Ball's best play in the period was a pass to Moussa Diabate that gave the Hornets a 106-101 lead.

The Hornets battled without their franchise cornerstone but eventually allowed the Cavaliers to walk away with a 118-117 win.

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	FG	3-PT FG	FT	+/-
LaMelo Ball	13	1	7	1	0	1	4-13	3-10	2-2	-17

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LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets suffer their ninth straight loss

The Charlotte Hornets suffered their ninth straight loss after allowing the Cleveland Cavaliers to pull off a late win on Friday. LaMelo Ball's inefficient outing was a key reason the home team could not snap out of their slump. Ball orchestrated the offense well but did not have his shooting touch.

With several key players missing, Charlotte continues to struggle. The Hornets are now 2-for-15 since February. The loss dropped their record to 14-48, the second-worst record in the NBA.