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LaMelo Ball Returns After Head-to-Head Collision With Coach as Hornets Rally for Seventh Straight Win

Trainers glued a cut above his right eye, clearing him to return minutes later.

Overview

  • Ball and head coach Charles Lee banged heads near the Hornets’ bench while both chased a loose pass, sending Ball to the locker room for evaluation.
  • Team staff determined Ball had roughly a 1-inch laceration above his right eye that was treated with skin adhesive, with no signs of a longer-term issue.
  • Ball came back to post a team-high 24 points as Charlotte erased a 22-point deficit to beat New Orleans 102-95.
  • Lee publicly took blame for the collision, calling himself a “stupid coach,” and Ball downplayed it after the game, saying “it’s all love.”
  • The victory is Charlotte’s seventh in a row, matching its longest streak since 2016 and pulling the Hornets within a half-game of 10th in the East; they visit the Rockets on Thursday.