LaMelo Ball says chemistry has been at the heart of the Charlotte Hornets' recent surge, as the team continues one of the most remarkable postseason turnarounds in the league.
Ball discussed the Hornets' success in an interview shared by the NBA on X, formerly known as Twitter, emphasizing the group's connections on and off the court.
"Guys, you know everybody's cool, takes care of each other, so it's all real love. And you feel like a real family, and if someone's down we'll pick them up. And that's how we go."
Charlotte's play has improved after a difficult start to the season. The Hornets dropped to 16-28 after a 94-87 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 21, but improved to 36-34 after a 130-111 win over the Orlando Magic on Thursday. The surge has lifted Charlotte to the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
Over the past 15 games, the Hornets have been one of the NBA's most efficient teams on both ends of the floor. Charlotte ranked eighth in scoring with 117.2 points per game during that span, while leading the league in three-point shooting, making threes an average of 19 times at 40.4% accuracy.
Defensively, the Hornets have also made significant progress. The team has allowed just 106.4 points per game over that span, the fourth-best mark in the league, trailing only the Boston Celtics (102.1), New York Knicks (103.7) and Oklahoma City Thunder (105.6). Charlotte's 10.8 net rating during that span ranks first in the NBA.
Buzzing energy at Hornets practice 🐝
Go behind the scenes with Coach Charles Lee and Kon Knueppel before Charlotte hosts Memphis tonight at 7:00 PM on NBA League Pass! pic.twitter.com/E4Mp7rZ2if
- NBA (@NBA) 21 March 2026
LaMelo Ball's production fuels Hornets' playoff boost
Ball has played a central role in the turnaround. The 24-year-old guard has averaged 19.5 points, 7.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game this season, while shooting 40.4% from the field, 36.4% from three-point range and a career-high 89.7% from the free-throw line. Appeared in 60 games, including 57 starts. He averages 27.6 minutes per contest.
With momentum building, Charlotte remains a long way from high playoff position. The Hornets are 2.5 games behind the sixth-seeded Orlando Magic (38-31) in the Eastern Conference standings.
Charlotte will look to extend its current two-game winning streak on Saturday night when it hosts the Memphis Grizzlies (24-45) at 7:00 pm ET as part of a seven-game homestand.
As the regular season enters its final stretch, Ball's emphasis on chemistry continues to define a Hornets team that has rapidly re-established itself as a competitive force in the Eastern Conference.
