Everything Hornets coach Charles Lee said following the win over Houston

Charles Lee was pleased with the efforts by LaMelo Ball, Tre Mann, and the overall defense on Wednesday night.

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Charlotte Hornets tipped off the 2024-25 season with an impressive 110-105 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. LaMelo Ball led the way with a 34-point, 11-rebound, 8-assist performance with Tre Mann going for 24 points off the bench.

Following the game, Hornets head coach Charles Lee met with the media to discuss what he liked and what led the team to victory in H-Town.

Team’s defense

“I think it just showed how good of a defensive team we are. When it really mattered and we needed to claw back into this game, I thought our defense took another level too. In the first half, we got some pretty good looks, didn’t knock them down unfortunately and we got the same looks in the second half or some guys kicked it into another gear, but I thought for the most part I saw our defensive intensity rise to the occasion. Even some guys that maybe didn’t have it offensively, they contributed defensively, especially on the boards.”

Tre Mann’s performance

“Proud of Tre. Very happy with the way that Tre played. I even thought that he took it up another notch in the second half. We talked about it at halftime, he had like 10 or 11 points but we still didn’t feel like he had the Tre bounce or vibe to him. I thought in that second half he was able to ease his way into the game and defensively was really good.”

LaMelo Ball having a big game for first time playing since January

“It just shows the competitor that he is, the resilient person that he is. I think all the injuries that he’s kind of had to go through, he had stayed consistent with his work ethic. I’m so happy that he was able to showcase it tonight. Like I’ve said, since I got this job, since the first time we talked on the phone he told me what he was going to be committed to. He wants to be someone who earns the trust of his teammates and his coaches in terms of just coming in to work every day, and wants to be a winner, wants to impact winning.”

What a healthy LaMelo Ball means for the Hornets

“Ah, he’s like the engine for us. So like, if we have a healthy LaMelo Ball, I think we’re going to do a lot of really good things. I know he’s going to continue to grow and he helps everyone around him continue to be better too which is really exciting. The individual, and the collective group, will grow.”

The Hornets will be back at it on Friday night as they take on their division rival, the Atlanta Hawks. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. EST.

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