Inside The Heat

LaMelo Ball's Hot Shooting Cools In Loss To Miami Heat

Shandel Richardson|
Nov 27, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) drives in past Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier III (2) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images
Nov 27, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) drives in past Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier III (2) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

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Miami Heat

The Miami Heat caught Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball in the middle of a hot streak.

Ball averaged 43 points in the previous games before facing the Heat Wednesday in Charlotte. With an emphasis on Ball, the Heat made it tough as possible in their 98-94 victory.


"Just try to make it tough on him," Robinson said. "He plays with the ultimate freedom and confidence. He just gets them up. It's fun to watch." 

Ball, who averages 31 points, finished with 32 points but shot just 11 of 35 from the field. It was one of his worst shooting performances of the season.

"He's one of those guys who can make so many plays. He can score from not three but four levels because he shoots it pretty far. When you have a guy like that, he has a great light, those are the guys you've really got to be conscious of."

Heat guard Tyler Herro was actually the more efficient scorer on the night. He finished with 27 points on 11 of 22 shooting. With Jimmy Butler missing the fourth quarter because of an injury, Herro scored 10 points in the final four minutes to help the Heat avoid blowing a 20-point lead.

 "Tyler bailed us out down the stretch," Heat forward Duncan Robinson said. "Thankful for Tyler. That's what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving. A win is a win, especially the second night of a back-to-back." 

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here