Hornets Injury Report: Will LaMelo Ball Return Tonight vs Pacers After Missing 4 Previous Games?

With each loss they accumulate, the Charlotte Hornets are going further away from qualifying for the playoffs. Currently riding on a six-game losing streak, the Queen City is ranked thirteenth in the Eastern Conference. The defeats incurred by them are also by a difference of a dozen points, which shows their lack of defensive capabilities. Even their offensive capabilities are on a downfall as their star guard LaMelo Ball has been out of action since January 26 and has already missed 4 consecutive games.

However, according to the injury report, he is about to miss the upcoming game as well against the Indiana Pacers making it his fifth consecutive game. Ball is ruled out of this match due to a right ankle injury, and there is no set timeline for his comeback. This ankle injury of his had initially occurred during a match against the Orlando Magic in November. When Ball went in for a layup, he got tangled up with the Magic’s forward Paulo Banchero while landing and suffered a sprained right ankle.

The worst part about this is that he had undergone surgery on the same ankle in March due to which the Hornets fans were further frightened. However, after missing 20 games, Ball finally returned against the San Antonio Spurs on January 13th, bringing a sigh of relief to the fans, but the contentment did not last for long.

The 22-year-old guard suffered yet another injury to his ankle against the Houston Rockets on 27th January and has not stepped on the court ever since. Ball’s injury even hampered the performance of the Hornets as they have been on a losing streak ever since he has been sidelined. So in the upcoming match, as the former All-Star is not going to play, is the match going to be one-sided as usual, or can we expect a miracle from the Hornets in their upcoming match?

What can we expect from the Charlotte Hornets vs Indiana Pacers?

Both teams are currently on losing streaks and are looking to snap it with a victory tonight. As the Hornets face the Pacers for the third time this season, they will attempt to regroup and take advantage of their home court to intimidate their opponent. Not only that, their upcoming six games are all home games, so they have an opportunity to flip the script as the benefits of playing in front of their fans might be exactly the motivator they need to beat the Pacers.

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On the other side, the Pacers have found themselves having problems recently and ended up losing three games in a row. The major reason for this is their defensive issues, as well as the absence of key players like Myles Turner and Jalen Smith due to injuries. Even the 2x All-Star Tyrese Haliburton is recovering from his hamstring injury due to which is given a limited workload. However, in his absence, Bennedict Mathurin has taken the offensive responsibility of the team and will be very crucial in their clash against the Hornets. So, overall the game promises to be a tough contest between two clubs looking to reverse recent losses.

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