(Video) LaMelo Ball Breaks Silence After $150K SUV Crash

'Blessed' LaMelo Ball stars for Charlotte Hornets one day after car crash.

(Video) LaMelo Ball Breaks Silence After $150K SUV Crash

LaMelo Ball broke silence (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • LaMelo Ball was involved in a car accident but emerged uninjured and played in the Hornets' next game.
  • The Charlotte Hornets lost 105-101 to the Houston Rockets, dropping to 10th in the Eastern Conference.
  • Ball emphasized the need for improved pace in the team's offense following their scoring struggles against the Rockets.

Former number three pick LaMelo Ball was involved in a car accident on Wednesday. Ball’s custom-made Hummer was in a collision with an oncoming vehicle in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hummer suffered significant front-end damage in the crash, including the loss of one of its 24×12 DW Forged one-off designed wheels.

It was a blessing when LaMelo Ball made it out of the accident unscathed and was even available for the Charlotte Hornets’ first game after the All-Star weekend. Since the turn of the new year, the Hornets have been on a tear, winning 15 of their last 22 games before the All-Star break as Ball and his crew turned up the heat with their collective effort.

However, on Thursday night, the Hornets came up short as they suffered a narrow 105-101 defeat to the Houston Rockets at the Spectrum Center. Ball had a rough game offensively as he recorded just 11 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists. Hornets duo Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges continued to serve their suspensions after their actions against the Detroit Pistons.

The loss was a tough one for the Hornets, who dropped to 10th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 26-30 record. They are currently just 1.5 games ahead of 11th place Milwaukee Bucks. Meanwhile, the win improved the Rockets’ record to 34-20 and propelled them to third place in the Western Conference standings.

Following the disappointing loss, Ball was asked about how the last 24 hours had been for him in his post-match press conference.

I’m just alive and blessed. God is great like I said.

The Hornets are no longer the perennial underdogs in the league. After their improvement in form, the club even has Charles Barkley believing in them to make a late surge to earn a playoff spot. If they do make it to the playoffs, it will be their first playoff appearance since 2016.

Charlotte Hornets were stagnant against the Houston Rockets

With Bridges and Diabate ruled out for the second of their four-game suspension, the Hornets had lost some of their offense heading into the game. It was clear during the whole match that the Hornets had their ups and downs in offense. In his press conference, Ball was asked about the Hornets’ scoring lapses against the Rockets.

We need to play with more pace, and we were just a little stagnant… I feel like the shots were good, just missed them.

The Hornets point guard is currently averaging 19.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and is shooting at just 40% from the field in 45 appearances this season. It is his lowest points per game since his rookie year. If the Hornets are to make it to the playoffs this year, they will need Ball to find his offensive groove very soon.

Kevin Durant on Houston Rockets’ performance

There has been a lot of noise surrounding Kevin Durant and the recent leak of some messages from his alleged burner account. While the forward has refused to speak on the matter, which has led to more discussions on the matter, it has not hindered his game at all.

Durant scored a game-high 35 points to go along with eight rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. A vintage performance from the two-time champion. After the win, Durant spoke about the team’s performance in his postgame interview.

Kevin Durant and his Houston Rockets teammates
Kevin Durant and his Houston Rockets teammates (Image via Rockets Wire/X)

We just played together. We just weathered that storm in the first quarter. That’s the nature of this team. We gotta stay poised through it all. It’s a good win.

Heading into the final stretch of the season before the playoffs, Durant and the Rockets will fancy their chances of a deep postseason run. They are scheduled to take on the New York Knicks on February 21 at Madison Square Garden.

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