LaMelo Ball missed a chance on Wednesday for two easy points — and perhaps a highlight-reel dunk — when he failed to connect on his own alley-oop.
All five Orlando Magic players crashed the paint for an offensive rebound attempt with four minutes left in the second quarter against Ball’s Charlotte Hornets, leading to an outlet pass that reached Mason Plumlee near midcourt and eventually Ball all alone at the Orlando 3-point line.
Ball, averaging 19.6 points per game through Charlotte’s first 20 games this season, bounced the ball once high with his right hand, jumped and spun as he neared the rim — but couldn’t finish the dunk and instead bounced the ball off the back of the rim.
Moments later, he was called for a reach-in foul after he swiped at the Magic’s Mo Bamba, who’d grabbed the rebound. He was then subbed out for Terry Rozier and didn’t play for the rest of the half.
“Obviously that play, we’ll talk about it,” Charlotte coach James Borrego said. “He knows it, he owns it and we’ll move forward. … Just another growth opportunity for him.”
Ball, who the Hornets selected No. 3 overall in the 2020 draft, has also averaged 7.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists — all improvements from his rookie season — while bumping his minutes per game from 28.8 to 32.9. At the time of his dunk attempt against the Magic, the Hornets led 43-41 and held onto it as the game progressed, winning 106-99 and preventing Orlando from winning just its sixth game this season. Ball finished with 22 points, four rebounds and four assists on 7-of-17 shooting.
Charlotte has won seven of its last eight games to move into second place in the Southeast Division, as it sits tied with Washington and trails Miami by a half-game. The Hornets will host the Timberwolves on Friday in the first of two meetings between the two teams this season.
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