After going 1-1 in their recent road trip, the Charlotte Hornets began a four-game homestand with losses against the Houston Rockets and the Utah Jazz. Now, Charlotte prepares to go up against the in-form New York Knicks. And in hopes of putting an end to their three-game losing skid, fans will hope that LaMelo Ball can suit up for the battle between the two Eastern Conference franchises.
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The Charlotte Hornets continue to have an injury-riddled campaign as they add five players to the injury report yet again. Amari Bailey, Gordon Hayward, and Mark Williams will be missing out on the contest. Whereas, Frank Ntilikina will be joined by LaMelo Ball as the players to be listed as “questionable”.
Back in November, Melo had to be carried off the court when he hurt his ankle during the 2nd quarter of the contest between the Hornets and the Magic. The right ankle sprain was responsible for keeping him sidelined for seven weeks before the star returned to the lineup on 12th January.
The 2021 Rookie of the Year suited up for seven straight matchups before being sidelined for the latest fixture between the Hornets and the Jazz. With LaMelo injured, PJ Washington carried a lot of the offensive load on his shoulders. However, Washington’s 43-point efforts went to waste as Lauri Markkanen and Co. grabbed a 134-122 win. The Hornets’ loss only emphasized just how much the team needs LaMelo Ball in the lineup. Especially in a game against the New York Knicks, his best efforts will be required if the Hornets want to secure a victory.
LaMelo Ball got into a heated altercation the last time he suited up
Before being sidelined against the Utah Jazz, LaMelo Ball did suit up for the contest against the Houston Rockets. During the chirpy battle between the two franchises, Ball got into a heated altercation with Cam Whitmore.
At one point in the final period of the battle, LaMelo received a trip to the charity stripe after being fouled by Amen Thompson. Whitmore didn’t agree with the officials and believed that the 6ft 7” guard was flopping. Hence, the rookie didn’t mince his words when calling Ball out for the same.
“Bum a** ni**a,” Whitmore passed a nasty remark.
LaMelo isn’t one to back down from an altercation. He didn’t have to think twice before retaliating.
“Shut the f**k up, ni**a,” Melo responded.
The two went back and forth before their teammates had to intervene. Take a look at the series of NSFW comments that they traded.
Whitmore: “Soft a** ni**a”
Melo: “B*tch a** ni**a. You ain’t gonna do sh*t, ni**a”
Whitmore: “Pu**y”
Ultimately, it was Whitmore who got the last laugh. After their quarrel, the rookie went on to drain four three-pointers, finishing the night with a 24-point, 11-rebound double-double. On the other hand, Ball, who was taken out of the game early in the fourth quarter, only managed to record 15 points and 8 assists while suffering a 138-104 blowout loss.
