LaMelo Ball's status vs. Philadelphia 76ers revealed

Maybe, just maybe, the dark cloud hovering over the Charlotte Hornets organization is slowly making its way out of the Queen City. Moments ago, the team announced that star point guard LaMelo Ball has been upgraded from "questionable" to "available" and is expected to be in the starting lineup for tonight's home contest versus the Philadelphia 76ers.

Ball has missed the last seven games, and in that stretch, the Hornets have a record of 1-6. For the first time this season, Charlotte will have the starting five it intended to have with Ball, Josh Green, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams. Well, sort of. Miles Bridges and Mark Williams are on a minutes restriction, so there's no telling if either will be in the starting lineup, particularly Williams, but they're all available.

Prior to the injury, Ball was scorching hot on the offensive end of the floor, posting 35, 50, 44, and 32 points in the four games following his late fourth quarter benching against the Brooklyn Nets.

The Hornets and Sixers will get things tipped off at 7 p.m. EST from Spectrum Center. The action will air on FanDuel Sports Network Southeast.

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