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Hornets’ LaMelo Ball Offers Injury Update Before 76ers Matchup

LaMelo Ball spoke ahead of Monday's matchup between the Hornets and the 76ers.

Justin Grasso

Nov 10, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) drives between Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (L) and guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. (R) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Nov 10, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) drives between Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (L) and guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. (R) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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The Charlotte Hornets could get a major boost on Monday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. The team recently upgraded its All-Star guard, LaMelo Ball.

Lately, Ball has been dealing with a calf strain. After starting the season off healthy and thriving through the first stretch of the 2024-2025 run, Ball hit a tough obstacle that slowed him up. Monday night could offer him an opportunity to get back on track.

First, Ball has to see how he feels going through warmups.

“I feel alright,” Ball told reporters on Monday. I’ll probably just do shootaround to see how that goes—the one before the game. … I’m just excited to play for real.”

Prior to his recent absence, Ball appeared in 18 games for the Hornets. He was knocking down his shots at a 43 percent clip, drilling 36 percent of his threes while taking 13 attempts per game.

Ball was producing 31 points, five rebounds, and seven assists on a nightly basis. The young guard was widely viewed as a potential All-Star favorite.

If Ball misses Monday’s action against the Sixers, it would be his eighth absence in a row. If he plays, it would mark the first time he’s playing this month.

On November 27, Ball checked in for 36 minutes against the Miami Heat. The star guard posted 32 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists in a four-point loss against the Heat.

When the Hornets and the Sixers battled it out on November 10, Ball produced 38 points in 40 minutes. the Sixers came out on top with a two-point win in overtime.

The Sixers and the Hornets are set for a 7 PM ET tip. Ball is a game-time decision as of now.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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