by LaMelo Ball suffered a tear with the Charlotte Hornets this season, but he will miss the next two weeks with a left calf strain. the team announced SATURDAY.
Ball, 23, missed Friday’s 99-98 loss to the New York Knicks as the Hornets were eliminated from group play in the NBA Cup tournament. He was listed on the injury report as out due to illness, but he was injured more seriously. Ball was injured in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s loss to the Miami Heat.
Over his last four games, Ball had averaged 40 points, including a 50-point effort last Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks. For the season, he is averaging 31.1 points per game, behind Giannis Antetokounmpo among the NBA’s leading scorers.
However, Ball’s scoring didn’t help the Hornets win games. Charlotte has lost four straight and eight of its last 10 heading into Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. With a 6-13 record, the Hornets are 12th in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the Southeast Division.
Injuries have been a problem throughout Ball’s career. Since playing in 75 games during his sophomore year, Ball has appeared in a total of 76 games over the past three seasons. Last season, he played in just 22 games after undergoing surgery on his right ankle and suffering lingering pain afterward. Ankle injuries limited him to 36 games during the 2022-23 campaign.
Charlotte lost forward Grant Williams for the season with a torn ACL last week. Centers Mark Williams (sprained foot) and Nick Richards (fractured rib) were unavailable, and Miles Bridges missed two weeks with a bone bruise in his right knee. However, Ball’s injury will be the most notable, given his quality of play.
