CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets will be without point guard LaMelo Ball for at least two weeks because of a strained left calf.
Ball felt discomfort in his calf after Wednesday night’s loss to the Miami Heat and did not play against the New York Knicks on Friday. The team said he will be reevaluated on Dec. 11, which is two weeks from the date of the original injury.
Ball has been hot for the Hornets, averaging 40.3 points in his last four games.
He is averaging a career-best 31.1 points and 4.7 3-pointers per game for the season, which ranks second in the NBA. He also is averaging 5.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 18 starts.
Ball has had a history of injury problems, mostly to his ankles, since coming to the league as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
The only Hornets player to ever receive a max contract extension, Ball has played in just 202 games with 182 starts in five seasons.
The team also said guard Tre Mann’s lower back soreness has been diagnosed as a disk irritation. His absence from the lineup began on Nov. 23 against Milwaukee. He will continue his rehabilitation and be reevaluated in two weeks.
“They are competitors and they want to be out there on the court to compete and hoop, but they also want to be out there for their teammates,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said prior to Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks. "I just walked past ’Melo as I was coming in here to do media, and he’s like, ‘I’m going to take care of everything I need to do on this return to play program and I’m going to attack it with the right mindset.’ I have all the confidence in the world in our performance staff and in those guys.”
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Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball reacts after making a three point basket against the Miami Heat during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee, right, talks to guard LaMelo Ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Botafogo overcame playing with 10 men to win its first Copa Libertadores title after beating fellow Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro 3-1 in the final at Monumental de Nunez Stadium on Saturday.
After just 30 seconds, midfielder Gregore, one of Botafogo's best players, hit the head of Fausto Vera with his foot and was given a straight red card.
“It was so hard to have one less so early in a final. It was an unfortunate move,” Botafogo defender Alexander Barboza said. “But Gregore deserves this title as much as we do. We made history and that won’t ever be erased.”
Winger Luiz Henrique scored first in the 35th minute from close range, and was fouled for the penalty shot converted by Alex Telles in the 44th.
Eduardo Vargas headed Mineiro's only goal in the 46th while Junior Santos, the top scorer in the Copa Libertadores with 10 goals, capped Botafogo's historic night with the third in injury time.
Brazil was assured of a sixth consecutive Copa Libertadores title and its 24th in history, just one less than Argentina.
It was also the third straight title for Rio de Janeiro clubs, after Fluminense in 2023 and Flamengo in 2022.
Botafogo, the last of the four big Rio clubs to win the Copa Libertadores, earned prize money of $23 million and a spot in the Club World Cup in the United States next year.
Despite sensationally losing Gregore, Botafogo reset and Luiz Henrique scored the opener. Henrique surged on the right flank and crossed to Marlon Freitas, who took a shot that was deflected. Henrique was in the right place to strike through the legs of goalkeeper Ederson.
Henrique and Ederson met again near the end of the first half when the striker surprised the keeper on the edge of the box. A penalty was given after a video review and left back Telles calmly slotted the ball home.
Mineiro came back with a more aggressive formation in the second half and was rewarded when veteran Hulk took a corner kick and Vargas, who replaced midfielder Gustavo Scarpa during the break, didn’t even need to jump to score with his head.
Mineiro had more chances to equalize through Deyverson in the 53rd, Hulk in the 56th, and Vargas in the 86th and 88th, all from close range.
But it was Botafogo’s Júnior Santos, who was sidelined by injury during the Copa, who scored the last goal.
“We just failed at getting some advantage at having one more player than them,” tearful Mineiro defender Rodrigo Battaglia said. “It was a very hard day for all of us.”
Botafogo coach Arthur Jorge joined Portuguese compatriots Jorge Jesus (Flamengo, 2019) and Abel Ferreira (Palmeiras, 2020 and 2021) as European coaches with a Copa Libertadores title.
Mineiro's Gabriel Milito missed the chance to be the first Argentine to win the tournament with a Brazilian club.
Botafogo also gave American owner John Textor his biggest trophy yet. Textor has been subject to criticism after unproven allegations about match-fixing when Botafogo squandered a 13-point lead last year and missed out on the league title.
Next week, his team could win its first Brazilian title since 1995.
“I saw this was a hungry group of players since I joined,” said Telles, who joined Botafogo in mid-year. “No one was speaking about what happened last year, it hurt us all. We knew we had a burden to carry, to give something back to our fans. Now we did it.”
Botafogo was relegated from the league in 2020 but has risen to prominence again with Textor’s investment. He was part of a wave of foreign owners who came into Brazilian soccer after a 2021 law change paved the way for private investors.
Mineiro also has wealthy owner in Brazilian billionaire Rubens Menin, a construction mogul.
Savarese reported from Sao Paulo.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Botafogo soccer fans celebrate a goal scored by Luis Henrique against Atletico Mineiro in the Copa Libertadores title match, broadcast on a giant screen at a watch party at the Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
A Brazil's Atletico Mineiro soccer fan reacts as she watches a live broadcast of her team go up against Brazil's Botafogo in the Copa Libertadores title match, at a bar in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Thomas Santos)
Eduardo Vargas of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's first goal against Brazil's Botafogo during a Copa Libertadores final soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.(AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Alex Telles of Brazil's Botafogo celebrates after scoring his side's second goal against Brazil's Atletico Mineiro from the penalty spot during a Copa Libertadores final soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
Luiz Henrique of Brazil's Botafogo, right. is fouled by goalkeeper Everson of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro inside the penalty area during a Copa Libertadores final soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Luiz Henrique of Brazil's Botafogo celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal against Brazil's Atletico Mineiro during a Copa Libertadores final soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
