Highlights: LaMelo Ball's Passing Dazzles in Illawarra Hawks' Loss to 36ers

LaMelo Ball equalled his best points return of the season on Monday, but it was not enough to give the Illawarra Hawks a win, as they lost 98-92 to the Adelaide 36ers.

Ball scored 15 points at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, adding five rebounds and seven assists (1-of-7 from three), but the Hawks slipped to their fourth defeat in five National Basketball League games this season.

The 18-year-old provided one of the highlights of the game early on when he went behind the back to set up Josh Boone for a dunk:

Fox Sports' Olgun Uluc was impressed:

By halftime, Ball had contributed six points and three assists, but his team was down 56-49.

He opened the third quarter with an easy basket, and a few minutes later he put it on a plate for Boone once again:

Ball reached double figures with a layup soon after:

After several missed three-point attempts, Ball finally hit one to close out the third quarter.

He helped the Hawks close the gap to just two points when he converted a pair of free throws with 54 seconds on the clock, but the 36ers pulled away again to secure the victory.

The Hawks shared Ball's stats from the game:

Illawarra's key man was longtime NBA veteran Aaron Brooks, who finished with 31 points, five rebounds and three assists.