Why LaMelo Ball blamed Charlotte Hornets head coach for Play-In loss vs. Orlando Magic

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LaMelo Ball did not shy away from taking responsibility after the Charlotte Hornets’ Play-In loss, but his comments also pointed toward frustration with how the game was managed.

The Hornets were overwhelmed early by the Orlando Magic, falling into a massive deficit that effectively ended the contest before halftime.

And for Ball, the issue was not just execution. It was how long it took for him to take control of the game.

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LaMelo Ball suggests he should have taken control earlier

Speaking during the postgame interview, Ball made it clear he felt the approach came too late.

“I just felt like it was too late, I should have been doing that from the jump. We were running a lot of plays and getting pushed around, I feel like I should’ve just taken the ball from the beginning,” Ball said.

The comment appeared to point toward head coach Charles Lee’s system, which emphasized structured offense early before Ball shifted into a more aggressive role later in the game.

By that point, however, the Hornets were already chasing a game that had slipped out of reach.

Charlotte Hornets overwhelmed early in blowout loss to Orlando Magic

The numbers underline just how quickly things unraveled for Charlotte.

Orlando built a 68-37 halftime lead, the largest in Play-In history, and never looked back in a 121-90 win that ended the Hornets’ season.

Charlotte struggled across the board, shooting just 33.7 percent from the field while committing 20 turnovers, many of which came in the first half and led directly to easy points for the Magic.