SAN ANTONIO (AP) — LaMelo Ball had 27 points and 14 assists, and the Charlotte Hornets made a franchise-record 26 3-pointers to roll past the San Antonio Spurs 145-134 on Friday night.
Nick Smith Jr. scored a career-high 26 points for the Hornets. Miles Green added 21 and Josh Green had 20.
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Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) hangs on the basket after scoring over San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) and guard Chris Paul (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) drives around San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) knocks the ball away from San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) as he tries to shoot during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) moves the ball up court against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) and Charlotte Hornets guard Marcus Garrett (28) scramble for a loose ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Charlotte Hornets center Jusuf Nurkic (11) shoots over San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) reacts to a score against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Ball was 7 for 11 on 3-pointers and Charlotte led by as many as 31 points and won for the third time in four games.
San Antonio allowed the second-most points to an opponent this season a day after announcing De’Aaron Fox will undergo season-ending surgery to repair tendon damage in his left pinkie.
Stephon Castle had 26 points for the Spurs and Devin Vassell added 22.
Charlotte led 81-55 after the first half, the most points it has scored in any half this season.
San Antonio has trailed by double digits in 42 games this season, losing all but 10.
The Hornets, who were shooting 33% on 3-pointers, was 26 for 46 on 3s against the Spurs.
Hornets: Smith matched his career high with six 3-pointers, all in the first half. Smith missed his only 3-point attempt in the second half.
Spurs: Castle returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Feb. 3. A leading contender for Rookie of the Year, Castle was 3 for 7 on 3-pointers and 10 for 17 from the field.
The Hornets took a 22-point lead three minutes into the second quarter on three consecutive 3-pointers by Seth Curry and two by Smith. Charlotte was 10 for 14 on 3-pointers in the second quarter.
Marcus Garrett’s 3-pointer with 9:20 remaining in the game gave Charlotte a franchise-record 25 3-pointers in a game. The Hornets’ previous record was 24, which they set against Detroit on Jan. 5, 2022, and matched 25 days later against Indiana.
The Hornets visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. The Spurs host New Orleans on Saturday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) hangs on the basket after scoring over San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) and guard Chris Paul (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) drives around San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) knocks the ball away from San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) as he tries to shoot during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) moves the ball up court against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) and Charlotte Hornets guard Marcus Garrett (28) scramble for a loose ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Charlotte Hornets center Jusuf Nurkic (11) shoots over San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) reacts to a score against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — McLaren’s Lando Norris has won a chaotic rain-affected Australian Grand Prix, his first at Albert Park, with the Brit just managing to stay ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen following a third safety car late in Sunday's race.
Lewis Hamilton had a miserable Ferrari debut. The seven-time champion finished 10th and was annoyed by constant radio messages from his pit team.
Norris started the season-opening race, Melbourne’s first wet race since 2010, from pole position. But, while he initially came under increasing pressure from Piastri, who set a series of fastest laps until his papaya team told him to hold position, the Australian spun at the penultimate corner on lap 44 as the rain intensified and dropped down the order. A late race fightback helped Piastri recover to take ninth place — including passing Hamilton on the final lap — and two championship points.
Verstappen finished 0.895 of a second behind Norris after starting from third on the grid, and took advantage of Piastri’s misfortune and the final safety car and tire stops. Mercedes’ George Russell closed out the top-three.
“I knew I had a good pace, but I made one mistake in turn six and he got me in the DRS and the DRS around here is probably like a second or something so that allowed it to keep staying within that second,” said Norris, who scored McLaren’s 12th win in Australia to steal the outright record from Ferrari.
“I know what I’m capable of, I know what I can do, but obviously it’s just round one, so we need to go and do it again next weekend and then continue from there. A long season ahead, we’ve just got to keep our head down and keep pushing.”
Williams endured a mix bag, with Alex Albon securing his best result since Abu Dhabi 2020, and new recruit Carlos Sainz – who won here last year driving for Ferrari – out at the final turn on the opening lap.
Mercedes was thrilled to get two cars in the top five, with Russell onto the podium, his first since winning in Las Vegas last year. Rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who replaced Hamilton at the silver squad, showed his class with a superb fightback drive from 16th on the grid, following his Q1 exit, to finish fifth.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll also made the best of the chaotic conditions to move up from 13th to sixth, ahead of Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg, bringing home eight points in what has been a difficult weekend for the green team with its car uncompetitive in dry running.
Ferrari is the most successful constructor at the Australian Grand Prix, with 11 wins since its first in 1987, but it will leave Melbourne disappointed with just five points to show after Charles Leclerc finished eighth and Hamilton 10th.
The Scuderia was seen as a potential championship challenger ahead of the season start and has plenty of work to do ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix next week.
The Melbourne race had a thrilling start with Racing Bull’s Isack Hadjar out on the formation lap, and Alpine’s Jack Doohan joined Sainz in crashing out on the opening lap.
There were just 14 finishers, after Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso hit the turn eight barriers on lap 34, while Red Bull’s Liam Lawson and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto went into the barriers and out of the race 10 laps from home in the treacherously wet conditions.
AP Formula 1: https://apnews.com/hub/formula-one
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands reacts after his second placed finish at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates on the podium after winning the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Race winner McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, second left, stands with second placed Max Verstappen, left, of the Netherlands, Rob Marshall, chief designer of McLaren and third placed Mercedes driver George Russell, right, of Britain on the podium following the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Race winner McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, centre, stands with second placed Max Verstappen, left, of the Netherlands and third placed Mercedes driver George Russell, right, of Britain on the podium following the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates on the podium after winning the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain reacts after winning the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain leads Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)
Red Bull driver Liam Lawson of New Zealand spins off the circuit during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)
Red Bull driver Liam Lawson of New Zealand stands by his car after crashing during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy steers his car during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
McLaren driver Lando Norris, right, of Britain and Red Bull driver Liam Lawson of New Zealand complete to get out of turn two during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain talks with Zak Brown, McLaren team chief, after winning the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain waves to the crowd after winning the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Heath McKinley)
Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain steers his car during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain leads teammate Oscar Piastri of Australia during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)
Williams driver Carlos Sainz of Spain's car is taken from the track after he crashed during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain leads the field into turn two at the start of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Team RB driver Isack Hadjar of France is assisted by a track marshal after his car hit a wall on the formation lap ahead of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
