The Charlotte Hornets will be taking on the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder tonight, but will do so without LaMelo Ball. The former All-Star has been ruled out due to injury management for his right ankle.
Ball made his return from a five-game absence last night in the overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Ankle injuries have plagued the 24-year-old throughout his career. He has played just 105 out of a possible 246 games across the last three seasons alone, with ankle injuries as a primary reason way.
The Hornets demonstrated a level of caution with their star guard by keeping him out of the overtime period last night due to a minutes restriction. Ball played 27:24 of game time in the loss, finishing with 16 points, 10 assists, and three rebounds.
Charlotte is off to a 4-8 start to the season and sits in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. This will be a tough matchup against the Thunder, who are 12-1 on the season as they attempt to defend last year’s championship victory.
Following the news of Ball’s absence, the Thunder are now favored by -17.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Hornets hold +900 odds of pulling off the outright upset with the game total set at 224.5 points for the matchup.
Stay tuned to DK Network for live updates surrounding Ball’s outlook and all other notable players.
