The Minnesota Timberwolves are 6-2 since Anthony Edwards was ruled out due to an injury.
LaMelo Ball has taken over the Timberwolves, turning into a leader and primary scorer. He’s averaging 20.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.8 steals in his last eight games.
Ball is already proving that his trade was the right decision, holding the fort down until Edwards’ return sometime in late December or early January.
LaMelo Ball’s Message to Haters
In an Instagram post, LaMelo Ball shared a video featuring analysts being critical of the Minnesota Timberwolves acquiring him from the Charlotte Hornets in the offseason.
Ball wrote a six-word message to his haters, with the video showcasing his highlights from his debut season for the Timberwolves.
“I think I caught a buzz,” Ball wrote.
The post has garnered 1.5 million views, 128,000 likes and more than 3,000 comments as of this writing.
Here are some of the comments from his peers:
Austin Rivers: “Not 1 of those guys can dribble a basketball and chew gum at the same time.”
Ayo Dosunmu: “Hate it or love it the underdogs on top.”
Darren Collison: “Let’s gooooo!!!!”
Caio Teixeira: “1 of 1”
Kahlil Dukes: “Keep going”
CJ Miles: “Some wild things said man.”
King Bacot: “Prove yourself right”
Ryan Hollins: “Let’s goo!!!!!!”
Christian Polk: “Hardest edit I’ve seen in a long time!!”
LaMelo Ball Leads Timberwolves in Win vs. Mavericks
On Thursday, the Minnesota Timberwolves hosted the Dallas Mavericks at the Target Center.
The Timberwolves built a double-digit lead in the first half before pulling away in the third quarter to earn a dominant 133-94 win.
LaMelo Ball led the way for the Timberwolves, finishing with 22 points and nine assists. He was 6-for-10 from 3-point range.
It was a total team effort by the Timberwolves as they improved to 9-3, which puts them in third in the Western Conference standings behind the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.
Mavericks head coach Dusty May credited Ball for setting the pace for the Timberwolves.
“I think it’s painfully obvious that once he gets going like that and he’s making shots off the dribble from 26, 28 feet, we’ve gotta figure out a solution for it,” May said via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “But then he’s able to get in the paint and break you down when you do push up and put two on the ball. When he has it going like that, he’s an extremely tough cover, and he played well tonight.”
The Timberwolves are back in action on Saturday, hosting the Chicago Bulls.
Timberwolves Star LaMelo Ball Posts 6-Word Message to Haters