LaMelo Ball starred for the Illawarra Hawks on Monday, inspiring the team to a 114-106 win over Cairns Taipans in overtime.
The 18-year-old was in sensational form from the off and eventually finished the game with a triple-double, comprising 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists.
Ball had come close to a triple-double before but Monday was his first of the season with the Hawks. He has struggled at times with his shooting but his outing against the Taipans was easily his most efficient effort to this point. Ball had seemingly all of the tricks in his bag working from his 3-point shooting to his ability to get his teammates involved. Ball pulled up a number of times from well behind the 3-point line and his pick-and-rolls seemed to be working all game long.
After his performance on Monday, Ball is averaging 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.7 steals for the Hawks, while he is now shooting 38% from the field and 27% from 3-point range.
Ball is projected to be a top-five pick in the next NBA Draft. Depending on how he continues to play in the NBL, he could become a top-three pick in the draft in June.
