Watch LaMelo kick the ball right into a player’s face!
The Charlotte Hornets continued their upward start to the season on Tuesday night with a 145-117 loss to the Miami Heat at the Casey Center. Doc LaMelo Ball posted another near triple-double, the night will be remembered for the bizarre moment when the star guard accidentally kicked the ball in the face of the heat guard, Davion Mitchellduring the race.
The incident, which caused laughter from fans and confusion on the field, highlighted the night of frustration for Ball and the Hornets. The officials ruled the play accidental, with no fouls, but it reflected the tension of the fast-paced game slipped Charlotte.
Bol finished with 20 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in 28 minutes. He scored 15 points in the first quarter, but settled down the rest of the way as Miami’s pace and defensive pressure took over. Charlotte’s attack stopped when Ball sat down, and the team never found the same rhythm.
Coach Charles Lee credited Miami with dictating the tempo and capitalizing on the Hornets’ defensive lapses.
“They played at a good pace and created leads early in the period,” Lee said. “They’re firing on all cylinders. When we get close, we have to buckle down. One forty-five isn’t going to cut it on a nightly basis.”
The Hornets are looking for stability
The loss dropped the Hornets to 2-2, continuing their alternating win-loss pattern to open the 2025-26 season. Rookie Kon Knueppel added 19 points and Collin Sexton had 18, but Charlotte’s defensive breakdowns and poor transition coverage allowed Miami to pull away late in both halves.
Ball’s superb shooting and dazzling passing continue to fuel Charlotte’s offense, but his composure remains under scrutiny as the team searches for consistency. The fluke may have been harmless, but it reflected the Hornets’ uneven energy and focus in a game where every misstep proved costly.
For Ball and the Hornets, the challenge now is to turn the frustration into focus before their next game in Charlotte.
2025-10-29 16:59:00
