Hornets guard LaMelo Ball drives against Detroit’s Killian Hayes during Charlotte’s 107-94 win Saturday night. Nell Redmond/Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — LaMelo Ball returned from a 21-game absence with 11 points, helping the Charlotte Hornets to a 107-94 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.
A leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, Ball had surgery to repair a broken wrist sustained on March 20. The point guard played 28 minutes and added eight rebounds and seven assists, including a nifty underhand pass from his own backcourt to Miles Bridges.
Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 29 points, including a 3-pointer to beat the shot clock to help stave off Detroit’s final rally late in the fourth quarter.
Bridges added 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting and PJ. Washington had 16. Malik Monk, who returned after a 15-game absence (ankle), joined Ball with 11 points.
Charlotte blocked 15 shots, a season high for any team. The Hornets beat the Pistons for the 12th straight time.
WARRIORS 113, ROCKETS 87: Stephen Curry bounced back from a rough first half with 23 of his 30 points in the third quarter, and Golden State won at Houston.
Curry was just 2 for 12 in the first half, then didn’t even need to play in the fourth quarter after the Warriors outscored the Rockets 39-12 in the third to take an 88-67 lead.
PACERS 152, THUNDER 95: Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double in the first half and Indiana flirted with the most lopsided victory in NBA history before settling for a 57-point victory at Oklahoma City.
Sabonis finished with 26 points, 19 rebounds and 14 assists, and the Pacers scored their most points in a game since joining the NBA in 1976.
They led by 67 points with 4:12 remaining, but the Thunder scored the next 10 points. The NBA’s largest victory margin remains 68, set by Cleveland against Miami in 1991.
The Pacers’ previous record for points was 150 against Denver in 1982.
HAWKS 108, BULLS 97: Trae Young scored 33 points, Clint Capela had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Atlanta snapped a three-game slide with a victory at home against undermanned Chicago.
PELICANS 140, TIMBERWOLVES 136: Zion Williamson scored nine of his 37 points in overtime and New Orleans rallied for a win at Minneapolis.
Lonzo Ball had a career-high 33 points, tying a career best with eight 3-pointers, and grabbed 11 rebounds. Willy Hernangomez added 12 points and 12 rebounds. His follow shot with 21 seconds left in regulation completed New Orleans’ comeback from down 10 in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
Anthony Edwards scored 29 points for Minnesota, which had its four-game winning streak snapped. Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 14 rebounds, and D’Angelo Russell finished with 17 points and 11 assists.
HEAT 124, CAVALIERS 107: Kendrick Nunn scored 22 points and Duncan Robinson had 20, helping visiting Miami move into a tie with Boston for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
MAGIC 112, GRIZZLIES 111: Cole Anthony made a 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds remaining, giving him a career-best 26 points and Orlando a victory over visiting Memphis.
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