HOUSTON – LaMelo Ball had 34 points and 11 assists in his return from an ankle injury and Grant Williams hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to give the Charlotte Hornets a 110-105 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday Night.

Jalen Green quickly scored five points to tie the game before Williams put the Hornets on top with his step-back 3, making it 106-103. Ball, playing his first regular-season game since Jan. 26, added two free throws afterward to secure the win.

Green led Houston with 28 points and Alperen Sengun added 25 points and 18 rebounds in his return after missing the final 19 games of last season with a severe ankle sprain.

Takeaways

Hornets: This team has been plagued by injuries in recent years, and the problems continued in the first game when young star Brandon Miller was sidelined in the second half with left hip soreness. They need to keep him, Ball and Miles Bridges healthy if they want to get back to the playoffs after an eight-year drought.

Rockets: They need to play more consistently through four quarters after leading by double digits for most of the first three quarters before letting the Hornets get back into the game late.

Key moment

The Hornets used a 10-0 run that spanned from the end of the third quarter to the start of the fourth quarter to close the gap and set themselves up for victory after trailing for most of the game.

Key statistics

Houston shot 36.9% from the field while the Hornets made 44.7% of their shots.

Next

The Rockets host the Grizzlies and the Hornets visit Atlanta on Friday evening.

——

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba