Hornets Beat Knicks For 5th Straight as LaMelo Ball Spills Emotion Amid Incredible Run – ‘I Was Born for Moments Like This’

It may not show in the standings, but the Charlotte Hornets are looking exciting this season. Part of it is their star, LaMelo Ball, being more available.

The 2020 third overall pick has played in his 75th game of the season, far more than the 47 he played last year. He is averaging fewer points—19.7 compared to last year’s 25.7—but the Hornets are playing well overall.

They finished with only 19 victories last season, but they now have 39 with nine games to go. The Hornets are currently on a five-game winning streak and have beaten several strong teams along the way.

The latest is the New York Knicks, who are regarded as among the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. In January, they also beat the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, by 27 points. They have also defeated top teams such as the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Boston Celtics.

Coach Charles Lee credited their home fans for their contribution in beating the Knicks.

“It was amazing that our Hornets fans were able to drown out some of the Knicks fans, which I loved and we appreciate,” he told reporters post-game.

“That definitely helped us. It created a real home-court advantage, even though they are such a top team and they travel so well.”

The Hornets still have a legit chance to climb to the no. 6 spot, which means instant playoff appearance, something they haven’t experienced during LaMelo era. They haven’t been t the postseason since the 2015-2016 season.

The Hornets still have a legitimate chance to climb to the No. 6 spot, which would mean an automatic playoff berth—something they haven’t experienced during the LaMelo era. They haven’t been to the postseason since the 2015–2016 season.

LaMelo Ball is having fun

One criticism of Ball is that he is allegedly not taking the game seriously. There have even been suggestions that the Hornets franchise should move on from him and instead build around their sensational rookie, Kon Knueppel.

Those claims now appear misguided, with the Hornets winning games and Ball getting praised by his coach for being a leader. Ball also shared that he has a group he enjoys going to battle with.