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[Saba Sports News] The Charlotte Hornets couldn’t find an answer for the Boston Celtics yet again. Following a 124-109 home loss to the defending NBA champions, LaMelo Ball and his team fell to Boston once more on Saturday evening, this time 113-103 at home.
Ball delivered another standout performance, scoring 36 points on 15-for-26 shooting, along with four rebounds, six assists, and three steals in 37 minutes. However, his impact was cut short as he fouled out with over seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Ball’s struggles with foul trouble persisted, echoing the previous night’s game where he also fouled out after scoring 31 points on 12-for-25 shooting and committing a flagrant foul 1. This back-to-back series of 30-point games with fouls marked an unusual feat in NBA history.
“LaMelo Ball is the first player since 1986 to have consecutive 30-point games while fouling out. He’s fouled out in half of his games this season,” noted StatMamba. Ball is currently averaging 30.2 points on 47.4% shooting, along with 6.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds over six games this season.
Despite Ball’s strong play, the Hornets couldn’t overcome Boston’s formidable lineup. Brandon Miller added 16 points, and Josh Green contributed 12, but their efforts fell short against the Celtics, who were led by Jayson Tatum’s 29 points and an unexpected 19 points from Luke Kornet.
With these losses, the Hornets dropped to a 2-4 record and are set to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Monday.