It's not often that an NBA team finds itself down by double figures at halftime and still ends up winning the game by 26 points, but that's exactly what happened to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday evening when they improved to 2-1 with a road win against the Washington Wizards. It was another strong effort from point guard LaMelo Ball, who recorded an impressive triple double of 38 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists in the victory.
After the game, Hornets power forward Miles Bridges, who scored 22 in the game, spoke on how Ball motivated him to play better when the team had been falling behind.
“(Shoot), it was really Melo,” Bridges said, per Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “Melo came in, gave me an ear full. I didn’t come out ready to play, so I’m not used to Melo doing that. “He told me, ‘Lock in. Lock in, play like I usually play. I’m playing like a (bum) right now. He turned it up and everybody else turned up. We go as the head of the snake go. So, if he’s leading like that, with that type of passion, people are going to listen to him.”
Ball has indeed turned into much more of a vocal leader throughout his time as the Hornets point guard.
An intriguing Hornets team
The Charlotte Hornets have been mired in NBA purgatory for a decade now since their last playoff appearance all the way back in 2016, but the team is hoping that this year, they'll be able to turn things around.
Ball looks to be playing the best basketball of his career to open up this season, and the Hornets also have some intriguing young players on the wing, such as Brandon Miller, as well as rookie Kon Knueppel, who scored 20 in the win over Washington.
Overall, in a weakened Eastern Conference, it's not hard to envision the Hornets hanging in there and competing for a spot in the playoffs in 2025-26. They'll next take the floor on Tuesday evening on the road against the Miami Heat.
