LaMelo Ball Shines with 24 Points as Hornets Rout Victor Oladipo, Rockets
A day after demolishing the Washington Wizards, the Charlotte Hornets kept rolling.
In the second game of a back-to-back, the Hornets defeated the Houston Rockets, 119-94, on Monday night at home.
After sticking close through three quarters, the Hornets erupted to score 29 points in the fourth while limiting the Rockets to just seven in the final frame. Charlotte took it down to 4:16 before allowing a fourth-quarter field goal.
Rookie LaMelo Ball continued his streak of breakout performances, tallying 24 points to lead the Hornets closer to a .500 record at 12-13.
For the 11-12 Rockets, Oladipo totaled 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Notable Performers
- LaMelo Ball, Hornets: 24 PTS (7-18 FG, 7-12 3PT), 10 AST, 7 REB
- Gordon Hayward, Hornets: 19 PTS (4-11 FG, 3-5 3PT), 6 REB, 4 AST
- Miles Bridges, Hornets: 19 PTS (8-12 FG, 2-5 3PT), 10 REB
- Victor Oladipo, Rockets: 21 PTS (7-18 FG, 3-10 3PT), 7 REB, 6 AST
LaMelo Ball Has Arrived
Rookie LaMelo Ball has now started the Hornets' last five games, and it doesn't appear as though he'll be giving up that spot any time soon.
On Sunday, he replaced Devonte' Graham, who was kept out with a groin strain. Ball scored 19 points as the Hornets smashed the Washington Wizards, 119-97, two days after he tallied a career-high 34 against the Utah Jazz.
Charlotte looked to him again Monday as Graham missed his second straight game, and he delivered, recording double-digit scoring for the seventh consecutive outing.
After the first half, Ball was among the game's top scorers, tallying 15 points to match Gordon Hayward. He was also the team's top playmaker in the opening half with six assists and three boards.
His 25th career game also netted him a personal best with a career-high seven three-pointers that tied a Hornets rookie record and also earned him family bragging rights. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Lonzo Ball tallied 29 three-pointers through his first 25 games, while LaMelo ended the night with 45 in the same span.
Ball's run as a starter has proved he was a worthy No. 3 pick by the Hornets this offseason.
Rockets Struggle With Limited Lineup
The Rockets were without center Christian Wood for the second game since he suffered a right ankle sprain against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, and they elected to rest John Wall and Eric Gordon against Charlotte on Monday.
Oladipo is Houston's leading scorer, having averaged 19.4 points and 5.1 assists entering Monday, while DeMarcus Cousins scored 12 points and added 11 rebounds when he got the start Saturday to fill the hole left by Wood in the lineup.
On Monday, Oladipo led the way with 21 points, while Jae'Sean Tate and Danuel House Jr. each tallied 13, but it wasn't enough to get past the high-flying Hornets.
In the first half, Ben McLemore tallied 15 points in just eight minutes off the bench, hitting four of five shots from three.
It was a strong performance from the 27-year-old, who entered Sunday averaging 6.5 points in his 16.5 minutes per game.
He ended the night with the same total.
If nothing else came from Monday's loss, McLemore proved he deserves more minutes in this Houston lineup.
What's Next?
Houston closes out a back-to-back with a trip to New Orleans, where it will play the Pelicans at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
The Hornets are off until Wednesday, when they travel to the Memphis Grizzlies for an 8 p.m. ET tip.
