LaMelo Ball, the guard for the Charlotte Hornets, who was sidelined for several months last season with a fractured right ankle, had to be assisted off the court after sustaining an injury to his right ankle on Sunday night against the Orlando Magic, the hosting team.

During the latter part of the second quarter in the Hornets’ 130-117 defeat, Ball made his way toward the basket and executed a left-handed layup over Paolo Banchero, the forward for the Magic. Ball seemed to land in an awkward manner on his right leg and required assistance to reach the locker room.

Before the injury, Ball managed to score seven points on 3-of-6 shooting and contributed with two assists in 15 minutes of play. Until this game, Ball had been achieving career bests in points (25.9) and assists (8.6), along with 5.8 rebounds in 14 games of the ongoing season.

Ball, aged 22, was sidelined for the remainder of the previous season in February due to a fractured right ankle and had only participated in 51 games during his rookie season, hindered by injuries.

In his four seasons with the Hornets, the player drafted as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 draft has maintained an average of 20.0 points, 7.4 assists, and 6.3 rebounds in 176 games, 156 of which were starts.