For the first time in ages, the Charlotte Hornets are making some noise in the East as the NBA playoffs approach.
Following a win over the Knicks on Thursday (114-103), LaMelo Ball had a lot to say on the trajectory of his team. As you could guess, the vibes couldn’t be better right now as the Hornets peak at the perfect time.
“Anytime we win, we’re having fun. I feel like I was born for moments like this,” said Ball. “I’ve been hooping my whole life, second nature for real. I feel like my pops got me right for these moments right here, so I just come and do what I love. It’s all love, I love everybody. It’s blessings for real.”
The Hornets have been red hot over the past few weeks, rising above .500 to come within 2.5 games of the sixth and final playoff spot. The Knicks were the perfect test for them today, and they answered the call in more ways than one. For LaMelo Ball, it wasn’t one of his higher-scoring games, but he was still feeling good nonetheless after securing his seventh win in the past 10 games.
It’s no accident that LaMelo mentioned his dad here. Despite being a controversial character, LaVar has always strived to do right by his kids, and he trained them from an early age to maximize their basketball skills. His tough love approach over the years wasn’t always easy, but it planted the seeds of success that Melo still follows today. Now, LaVar plans to continue the tradition with his grandson, La’One.
Tonight, while it was Kon Knueppel who stole the show, LaMelo still had a performance worthy of praise. In the 11-103 win over the Knicks, he finished with 22 points, five rebounds, six assists, zero steals, and zero blocks on 50.0% shooting and 44.4% shooting from three. For the season, he’s averaging 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game on 49.6% shooting.
At 24 years old, Ball has proven himself as one of the game’s best young stars, but there have been concerns about his maturity and leadership ability. NBA GMs don’t believe he takes the game seriously, and that’s why many of them don’t take the Hornets seriously as a threat in the Eastern Conference.
The past few weeks, however, have shown that the Hornets’ rise is no fluke. Between LaMelo, Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and Miles Bridges, they have a solid core of players that can compete with some of the best teams in the East. Today, it was more than enough to handle a healthy Knicks team that’s ranked third in the standings. After that? It remains to be seen.
With practically no playoff experience, expectations are still pretty low for the Hornets, but they have been playing with a certain spark lately that has teams dreading a potential matchup against them. Tonight, they instilled that fear again with another well-rounded performance against a contending team. In the face of pressure, the key for LaMelo, the key is to just enjoy the ride and appreciate the moment for however long it lasts.
