The Charlotte Hornets are already feeling the weight of LaMelo Ball's absence. Their past two losses have shown how much they need the star to carry them in crunch time, and his heroics are perhaps their best bet to have a chance of reversing their fortunes this season.
Against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, the Hornets held a 93-87 margin entering the fourth quarter. However, New Orleans outscored them 29-19 in the final 12 minutes to record its first win of the 2025-26 campaign. It was certainly a frustrating turn of events for the Hive, as it could have been the squad's last winnable game in a long while.