Though the Charlotte Hornets did not have the desired outcome in their latest game, LaMelo Ball has enrolled himself among elite company.

The Hornets fell short to the Phoenix Suns by a 111-99 defeat on March 9. Ball added 22 points, 6 assists and 7 rebounds, but couldn’t prevent his team's 2^nd consecutive loss.

However, this stat contributed to his new feat that ESPN Insights announced on X.

“LaMelo Ball has 100 games scoring at least 20 PTS, 5 REB, and 5 AST, the most in Hornets history, He is only the 8th player in NBA history with 100 such games before turning 25.”

For the season, Ball has been averaging 19.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists in 27.7 minutes of playtime. And with this milestone, he has touched the elite company of “LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Oscar Robertson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Magic Johnson”.

But this achievement cannot rule out the lackings Ball had in the game against the Suns.

Lamelo Ball struggled with Free-Throw

Ball's shrinking minutes and whistles have always been a concern for the Hornets. Though he has improved his game, the 24-year-old struggles to get to the free-throw line. He's averaging only 2.4 in FT.

In the game against the Suns, Ball made several clear contacts, yet received no whistles. Devin Booker coming up with 15 free throws while Ball having 0 was indeed a matter of concern for the Hornets. And many have highlighted the disparity of the referees while officiating the Hornets' game.

Though things have been different on the stripes, Charles Lee and his team heavily rely on their aggressive three-point shooting. And that has made the Hornets the no.2 team in 3Ps.

For their next game, the Hornets will play the Portland Trail Blazers on March 11.

Do you think Ball will get free throws in that game? Comment it down.

Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi