LaMelo Ball is on a roll lately but also a little lighter in the wallet for some poor word choices over the weekend.
After paying a $100,000 fine and apologizing for an anti-gay slur uttered during a postgame on-court interview, Ball will attempt to turn his focus back to the court Tuesday night when the Charlotte Hornets visit the Brooklyn Nets for each team’s second game in Group A of the NBA Cup.
Following two injury-plagued seasons in which he only played 58 games, Ball is averaging a career-best 29.7 points per game and has scored at least 30 points in eight of his 13 games. Ball had seven 30-point games in 22 contests last season, and his next 30-point showing would match the mark he set during his 2021-22 All-Star season when he averaged 20.1 points in 75 games.
“As he goes, we go,” Charlotte coach Charles Lee said. “He’s trying to do it on both ends of the court, even undermanned. Not making any excuses and just trying to find a way to impact winning. It takes a great work ethic and it takes fearlessness. And that’s who he is. He’s a fearless competitor and I’m so glad he’s on our team.”
The Hornets are 2-6 when Ball scores at least 30, though two of those losses are to the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics and another was Sunday’s 128-114 loss to the unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers. Ball scored 31 on 11-of-29 shooting from the floor, then apologized for using derogatory language following Saturday’s 115-114 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
“Before we get started, I just want to address the comment (Saturday),” Ball told reporters. “I really didn’t mean anything (by it) and don’t want to offend anybody. I’ve got love for everybody, and I don’t discriminate.”
The Hornets are hoping to deliver a stronger performance in the NBA Cup after Ball scored 35 in a 114-89 loss at Orlando last week. The tournament loss is part of Charlotte’s five-game road losing streak that continued Sunday at Cleveland.
The Nets are also 0-1 in the NBA Cup after nearly storming back in the fourth quarter from a 21-point deficit in a 124-122 loss at the New York Knicks on Friday.
Brooklyn took its third straight loss and fell to 1-5 in its past six games when it was outscored 50-24 in the paint in a 114-104 road loss to the Knicks on Sunday.
Brooklyn is coming off one of its least productive games, as it shot 42.1 percent from the floor — its second-lowest mark of the season. Cam Thomas was held to 16 points Sunday after scoring 43 Friday on 16-of-22 shooting from the floor, including 7 of 10 3-pointers.
Brooklyn played its second game without Nic Claxton (back), who is scheduled to be re-evaluated at the end of this week. Without Claxton, the Nets allowed 96 points in the paint against the Knicks in the two games.
“Yeah, obviously (Claxton’s absence) was a part of it,” Ben Simmons said. “Definitely a problem. But I just don’t think we brought energy. Yeah, we didn’t play how we needed to play.”
