LaMelo Ball's big night not enough as Hornets fall to Hawks on the road

Charles Lee experienced his first win as an NBA head coach on Wednesday night, and now, he's experienced his first loss. The Charlotte Hornets dropped Friday night's game to the Atlanta Hawks by a 125-120 score.

Best of the Night: LaMelo Ball shooting

Apparently, there is zero rust in LaMelo Ball's game. Despite missing so much action in each of the past two seasons, Ball is performing at an All-Star caliber level through the first two games of this season. Tonight, LaMelo was red hot from three-point land, connecting on 9-of-14 attempts from downtown. He finished the night with 34 points which matches his output from the season opener.

Worst of the Night: LaMelo Ball's ball security

As terrific as Melo was shooting the ball, he was extremely sloppy with his handle, turning it over a career-high 10 times. His previous high was eight which he recorded three times with the last occurrence happening in 2022. Turnovers have been a real sore spot for the Hornets which is concerning for a team that likes to push the tempo.

Stat of the Night: LaMelo's new career high

Can you sense a theme here tonight? Usually, I try to spread the love, but it was just one of those kind of nights where LaMelo was the center of everything. His nine threes were the most he's hit in a single game in his career. His eighth three-pointer also moved him up the franchise's all-time three-point list, passing P.J. Washington for sixth place.

Highlight of the Night:

𝐇𝐔𝐌. 𝐃𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐘. 𝐃𝐄𝐄. pic.twitter.com/y11hWxALzA
— Hornets On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Hornets) October 26, 2024

Next Up: vs. Miami Heat on Saturday at 7 p.m. EST

Best of the Night: LaMelo Ball shooting

Worst of the Night: LaMelo Ball's ball security

Stat of the Night: LaMelo's new career high

Highlight of the Night:

MORE STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI