The Boston Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets 140-129 in overtime on Monday night.
Second-year star LaMelo Ball had another standout effort in the loss, recording a team-high 25 points and 9 assists in 33 minutes of play.
One of Ball’s highlights from the evening was this particularly nasty crossover:
LaMelo Ball just crossed Marcus Smart into another dimension… pic.twitter.com/MA0ij6rg63
— Swarm and Sting (@SwarmnSting) October 26, 2021
Afterward, the Celtics couldn’t help but mock Ball’s showing. Marcus Smart, in particular, seemed especially salty despite the fact that his squad had pulled out the dub.
Marcus Smart on Lamelo Ball crossing him up: “He’s going to get all of the overtime, House of Highlights, Sports Center and all that but we got the win and that’s all that matters”.#Celtics
Full Presser: https://t.co/veaIsbJEkv
by @betonline_ag pic.twitter.com/v1tGbjCXhO
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) October 26, 2021
“He (Ball) is going to get all of the overtime, House of Highlights, Sports Center and all that but we got the win and that’s all that matters,” he said.
Ball’s confidence has grown tremendously over the past year. You can see it in the way he carries himself and the things he says. There is a reason why he felt so comfortable calling out LeBron James and Kevin Durant recently. It’s also why he is currently serving as Charlotte’s de facto head coach.
Clearly that is rubbing some folks, like Smart, the wrong way.
Yikes Tony Romo.https://t.co/EfsWqCySRJ
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 25, 2021
Nevertheless, the facts remain the same. Boston is 2-2 on the year, and they’re a group that many thought might contend for the Eastern Conference crown. The Hornets, meanwhile, are a unit that nobody expected much from – and they’re 3-1 on the season.
Clearly Ball is about more than highlights – he’s also guiding his team to victories. The Celtics would be wise to show some respect in that regard, as Ball will likely carve them up in the East for many years to come.
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A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
