LaMelo Ball, who missed the final months of last season with a fractured right ankle, had to be helped off the court Sunday in Orlando after a nasty fall and another right ankle injury.
With just a tick more than two minutes left before halftime, Ball drove the lane and put up a shot over Paolo Banchero but landed awkwardly and went to the ground. The team medical staff came over and soon Ball was helped off the court — he could not put weight on his right leg — and was taken straight to the locker room.
Soon the Hornets announced that Ball would not return with what is being called a right ankle strain, but could be underselling the injury.
INJURY UPDATE: @hornets guard LaMelo Ball left the game in the 2Q tonight in Orlando with a right ankle strain, he will not return.
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) November 27, 2023
Ball has been playing the best basketball of his career to open this season, averaging 25.9 points and 8.6 assists a game, while shooting a career-best 38.9% from 3. He’d been on a tear in recent weeks and playing even better, averaging 32 points a game over his last nine games.
Expect an update on Ball’s condition on Monday.