NBA Top Performers Of The Day, Feb. 15: LaMelo Ball Has Ninth Career Triple-Double In Win Against Spurs

Ball finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists

TOP PLAYERS OF THE DAY

LaMelo Ball had 28 points, 10 assists, and 12 rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs for his ninth career triple-double.

“He is an ultra-talented player for sure," Hornets forward Gordon Hayward said. “Great vision for sure and he's all over the court. (With rebounding) he has an special ability to be in the right place at the right time. ... He's obviously a great player already and I think he will continue to grow into an even better one.”

OTHERS

-The Los Angeles Lakers’ moves before the trade deadline left some thinking they are heading in a more positive direction.

Their 120-102 win against the New Orleans Pelicans was an indication of that optimism.

Anthony Davis led the way, finishing the night with 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. It was Davis’ eighth double-double in his last 10 games.

The Lakers are still 13th in the Western Conference but the teams are very close in records. They are only 4.5 games behind the Clippers, who are fifth as of Feb. 16. With the way the Lakers have played since the trade deadline, there could be a late-season push for a possible playoff spot.

Davis’ reliability is always a concern, but if he manages to stay healthy, the Lakers could sneak into the postseason standings before the season is over.

- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 29-point performance led the way for the Thunder's dominant win against the Houston Rockets.

- Jayson Tatum returned to the Celtics with 38 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in a blowout victory against the Detroit Pistons. Tatum went 15 of 24 from the field, scoring 24 points in the third quarter alone.

- Buddy Hield helped the Pacers come back from a 24-point deficit with 27 points against the Chicago Bulls. Hield had six 3-pointers on Wednesday, passing Reggie Miller’s single-season franchise record in that category.

Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jayden.armant@bison.howard.edu or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.