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LaMelo Ball watched Rui Hachimura try to make two free throws with 37.1 seconds remaining on Wednesday. The Charlotte Hornets led 96-94 when the LA Lakers forward took the shots off a foul from Miles Bridges. An alleged leaked audio featured Ball talking trash to the Japanese, who took the pressure-packed free throws.
The Hornets regained possession after Hachimura missed both attempts and Ball punished the Lakers in the play by scoring a high-arching layup to extend Charlotte’s lead to 98-94 with 14.0 seconds left.
The electric point guard flexed his muscles and shouted at the pro-Lakers crowd:
“This is what the f**k I do, n***a! This is my s**t!”
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The Charlotte Hornets trailed 48-37 at halftime before dominating the LA Lakers in the third quarter. A 17-1 blast late in the period allowed them to turn the deficit into a 69-66 advantage. LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Nick Smith Jr. carried the team during that stretch.
LA last had the lead after Rui Hachimura missed a 26-footer that Luka Doncic tracked for a rebound. The Slovenian scored inside the paint to give the Lakers the edge 94-93. Nick Smith then responded with a 3-pointer before Hachimura missed two free throws.
Following LaMelo Ball’s layup, LeBron James gave the Lakers hope with a 28-footer to inch LA to within 98-97 of Charlotte. Ball again delivered when it mattered by hitting two free throws for a 100-97 advantage. King James missed back-to-back 3-pointers to allow the Hornets to complete the come-from-behind win.
Ball finished the game with 27 points, six assists, five rebounds and one steal. Rui Hachimura had 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and one steal for the Lakers.
LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets flew to Denver right after the close win against the Lakers
LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets had little time to enjoy their thrilling win against the LA Lakers on Wednesday. The star point guard and his teammates immediately flew to Mile High City for a rematch against the Denver Nuggets.
The Hornets gave the Nuggets a tough fight before losing 107-104 earlier this month, hoping to tie the season series with a victory. They arrived in Denver as early as possible to adjust to the high altitude that often troubles visiting teams.
Charlotte is a +18.0 underdog against the home team on Thursday.
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