For the first time this season, the Hornets presented themselves this night with their five type since LaMelo Ball was making his comeback. At his side, at the time of the jump, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Mark Williams and Josh Green. As Grant Williams is out for the season, this will be Charles Lee's major five, and before the match, everyone was very excited at the idea of counting on an almost full squad.
“It’s always great to have everyone back” Ball reacted. before the match against the Sixers. “I can’t wait to play for real. Afterwards, we'll see what happens.”. What excites the All-Star leader is playing with Mark Williams, the Hornets' starting pivot, who has just returned. “He’s 2m18, he’s mobile, and all that… It’s great that he’s back.”
Brandon Miller heads to the locker room…
The problem is that this enthusiasm lasted 40 minutes… Eight minutes from the end of the match against the Sixers, Brandon Miller twisted his ankle when he fell on the foot of Guerschon Yabusele. In the images, we think it's benign, but the young winger will return to the locker room, and we won't see him again…
Listening to his coach, Miller had already twisted his ankle in the previous action. “He maybe stepped on one foot in front of our bench — I don't know who it belonged to — and then going the other way, he attacks, and I think it was on Paul George, and he scores. And then when he fell, he hurt himself…. We will evaluate him, and I know our medical staff will take care of it. »
LaMelo Ball reassured and reassuring
The good news is that LaMelo Ball didn't feel any calf discomfort in 25 minutes. “I found it good,” summarizes Lee. “Defensively, he was involved and executed the coverages pretty well. His one-on-one defense was good. On offense, we saw his ability to create plays and create shots for himself and his teammates. He was a little rusty, but he will continue to improve from game to game. »
With 15 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds in 25 minutes, Ball was very profitable in this limited playing time, and despite the defeat, he is planning for the future. “I felt good,” assures Ball. “Honestly, I'm just happy to be back and getting my bearings again. It's just a question of rhythm. I think I will need a few more matches. Or even from the next one, honestly. »
On the infirmary side, only Tre Mann remains, and we will have to wait until the beginning of 2025 to see him on the field again.
