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Andrew LopezESPN
NEW ORLEANS – It was little brother’s night on Friday inside the Smoothie King Center – and almost historic as well.
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball nearly became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, scoring 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a 118-110 win. the New Orleans Pelicans and his older brother Lonzo Ball.
LaMelo, 19, 139 days, would have passed Markelle Fultz (19 years, 317 days) to become the youngest in history.
Ball’s younger win against his big brother was even worse considering he helped the Hornets come back from an 18-point deficit to do so. His assist to Gordon Hayward with 3:44 to play helped give Charlotte a four-point cushion.
The performance was reminiscent of the second game of Lonzo’s career in the Los Angeles Lakers, when he also nearly became the youngest player to make a triple-double (29 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists). On Friday, Lonzo finished with just five points, three assists, two rebounds, one block and one steal.
LaMelo said it was “great” to be able to share the word with his brother, but that he was also happy for the team to get the win. He noted that he was also not afraid of the moment on national television.
“Not at all. I’ve been there for a minute,” LaMelo said after the win. “I had ESPN games from a young age. So everything was normal.”
Charlotte coach James Borrego said LaMelo played “easy and easy” throughout the game.
“That’s what we expect from him,” Borrego said after the game. “It’s like he’s done it before, he’s been there before. It doesn’t make him feel dizzy. I’m proud of him. He’s a fantastic player. He energizes our group. He gives us a lot of confidence, a braggart we need sometimes. I thought it was great tonight. “
As Lonzo said Thursday, it was the first “real” game the two had played against each other, outside of some 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 games in the backyard when they were kids.
Ever since LaMelo left the Hornets bench, their first action on the court together on Friday didn’t come until it was recorded at 6:38 of the first quarter. The two only protected each other for a handful of possessions, but the little brother managed to get the best of Lonzo a couple of times as he wrapped himself around Lonzo for a run in the middle of the second quarter and finished the third with a deep 3-. pointer with his brother on top.
“It was just a side step and I pulled out the 3,” LaMelo said.
Before the game, Borrego was asked to compare the two, who were the first brothers to be selected from the top three in the NBA draft.
“I think they’re leaders,” Borrego said. “They have a great vision. You can say they know the game at a high level. I think that’s the common thread, it’s that they both understand the game at a high level and their teammates like to play with them. I think it’s the biggest thing “.
LaMelo also became the second youngest Hornet to record a double-double, with only Michael Kidd-Gilchrist doing so at a younger age.
Regardless of the outcome, Friday night’s game was the realization of a lifelong dream for the brothers.
“When we were younger, we always talked about it,” LaMelo said Thursday. “We always knew we were going to the league. Now, finally, the time has come. We are both excited.”