The Charlotte Hornets get a much-needed win to snap a two-game losing streak thanks to LaMelo Ball‘s fourth-quarter heroics. The Hornets were able to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 115-114 in the closing seconds on Ball’s free throws late in the game after Giannis Antetokounmpo fouled him.
That was the icing on the cake that provoked Miles Bridges to highlight his point guard’s performance.
Miles Bridges keeps it real about LaMelo Ball
Ball finished with 26 points but scored 15 of those in the fourth quarter alone. That sealed the Bucks’ fate, and Bridges had to give him his flowers.
“The fourth quarter has been LaMelo’s quarter. He turns up his intensity, he turns up his energy whenever the fourth quarter comes around. It’s great for us – getting us going, getting us open shots and getting shots for himself. I think ‘Melo, he got the fourth quarter going.”
Ball leads the league in fourth-quarter scoring through the first 12 games of the season with 11.5. He’s thrived in crunch time whether his team is trailing or if they need to hold a lead.
LaMelo Ball put the game away, but the defense really sealed this one
Ball’s free throws gave Charlotte the one-point lead, but the team’s defense forced Antetokounmpo to take a pull-up jumper for the win. That played right into the defense’s hands. Although he can hit that shot, Hornets coach Charles Lee prefers that over him putting pressure on the rim for a layup or dunk attempt. That was Lee’s game plan for the entire 48 minutes.
“I think it’s what we did all game in terms of showing (Antetokounmpo) bodies, showing him a crowd,” Lee said.
“(Pat) Connaughton hit that high quadrant 3 a couple plays before that, but again, we trusted in our shift activity. I thought on that last play, Grant (Williams), who all game was the primary defender on Antetokounmpo, did a really good job. He kept him in front, understood his tendencies,” Lee continued.
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“I thought all the guys around him understood how to kind of fake and fade and make it seem like there was a crowd there, make it seem like we were going to come help. He settled for a jumper and I thought we had a great contest, and we finished it with a deflection out of bounds.”
Keeping Antetokounmpo out of the paint was the primary goal and it paid off. They held him to season-low 22 points and he only attempted one free throw the entire game, which is also a season-low. Despite Charlotte not having Mark Williams or Nick Richards available, they still manage to generate an off night for one of the game’s best players.
What’s next for the Hornets?
They can’t celebrate too long though. Charlotte takes on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday for the second end of a back-to-back. The Cavaliers have come out the gates hot, starting out 14-0.
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