Bulls’ Lonzo Ball reflects before first game against LaMelo Ball in 1,145 days

The Chicago Bulls take on the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night in a game that is much more than a clash between two teams near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Lonzo Ball is on the floor for the Bulls in this one and LaMelo Ball is out there for the Hornets, marking the first official meeting between the brothers in 1,145 days. The last time both were healthy and active for a Bulls-Hornets meeting was way back in 2021, when Lonzo and company outshot the Hornets 133-119.

Before the big fight, the older Ball brother talked about playing against his little brother again on the way into the arena.

“The best thing about playing (LaMelo) is I know all his moves,” Lonzo said. “What I’m looking forward to the most is winning.”

None of the Ball brothers have quite had the day they surely envisioned so far. LaMelo is having a poor shooting night from the field, and Lonzo has yet to make a big impact off the bench during this high-scoring affair. If Lonzo wants to keep his promise and beat the Bulls, he’ll have to help them pull away during a close third quarter, with the Hornets currently leading 89-80.

LaMelo has just 17 points on 5-for-14 shooting and has seven assists, while Lonzo has just three points in 13 minutes.

While the Hornets plummeted to the bottom of the Eastern Conference while LaMelo was out with an injury, Lonzo and the Bulls are battling for a play-in spot. The Bulls entered Friday’s contest with an 18-23 record, which has them in 10th place in the East so far. They are just two games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers for the final spot, so every game is important for Chicago as the season passes the halfway mark.