Hornets' Ball limps off after reinjuring left ankle

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- LaMelo Ball's archetypal location crippled of the play didn't spell anyplace adjacent arsenic good arsenic helium had hoped.

Not lone did the Charlotte Hornets suffer 125-113 to the Indiana Pacers connected Wednesday night, but Ball reinjured his near ankle erstwhile helium stepped connected a fan's ft with 1 minute, 34 seconds near successful the game.

Ball was trying to prevention a shot from going retired of bounds erstwhile helium stepped connected a seated fan's ft adjacent the Hornets seat arsenic helium tried to brace himself from going into the crowd.

It's the aforesaid ankle that caused Ball to miss a information of the preseason and the archetypal 13 games of the regular season.

Hornets manager Steve Clifford had nary contiguous update connected Ball's presumption and Ball was not made disposable to speech to reporters aft the game.

The Hornets are astatine Cleveland connected Friday night.

This was Ball's 3rd crippled backmost since his archetypal ankle wounded successful the preseason, but his archetypal astatine home. It began with him getting a large instauration from the nationalist code announcer and a immense applause during pre-game introductions, but exiting with a grimace connected his look and helium limped to the locker room.

Ball was stellar erstwhile helium played, finishing with 26 points connected 10-of-17 shooting, including 5 3-pointers. He besides had six assists portion turning the shot implicit 4 times.

"He was large tonight," Clifford said.

The Hornets person been deed hard by injuries this season.

Along with Ball missing 13 games, Cody Martin has missed each but 1 crippled with quad and genu issues that yet required surgery, Gordon Hayward has missed the past 8 games with a enarthrosis wounded and Dennis Smith the past 3 a ankle sprain. Earlier successful the day, the Hornets besides announced first-round draught prime Mark Williams suffered an ankle wounded portion playing for the G League's Greensboro Swarm.

Terry Rozier besides missed 7 games with an ankle injury.

"It's precise pugnacious but we person to beryllium professionals astir it," said Hornets defender Kelly Oubre Jr. "It's the crippled of hoops and those things happen. But radical who are suited up and who are steadfast capable to spell retired there, we person to spell prime up that slack."

Still, guardant P.J. Washington said he's anxious for the time the Hornets (4-12) are astatine afloat strength.

"We each cognize astatine immoderate constituent everybody's going to get backmost retired there, and we can't hold for it," Washington said. "But close present the occupation is we're losing games, truthful we've got to fig it retired and commencement getting immoderate wins."

Charlotte (4-12) has mislaid 9 of its past 10 games aft starting the play 3-3 with a triumph implicit the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.