LaMelo Ball returns to Hornets lineup after a month out with injured ankle

LaMelo Ball returned to the court after a month-long ankle injury on Wednesday and looked pretty much his usual self for the Charlotte Hornets, posting 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting and 11 assists against the Detroit Pistons.

It wasn't enough for the Hornets to get the win, though, as the Pistons beat them 141-134 thanks to 20-plus-point games from Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks and Killian Hayes. But at least the highlights were good:

Ball missed 13 games after sustaining a Grade 2 sprain during a preseason game on Oct. 10 when he stepped on the foot of Wizards forward Anthony Gill on a drive and rolled his left ankle.

The star point guard was able to appear in only three games before he rolled the same ankle on the foot of a courtside fan late in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 16.

Ball, the 2021 NBA rookie of the year, is coming off his first All-Star appearance last season. The 21-year-old is averaging 19.3 points on 41.5% shooting and seven assists in his three appearances this year.

The loss knocked the Hornets' record down to 7-21, passing the Pistons for the worst record in the NBA. They can only hope Ball's return pulls them out of that position.