NBA Notes: Hornets, LaMelo Ball, Magic, Paolo Banchero, Wizards

Hornets

The Hornets won’t have LaMelo Ball on Sunday. The All-Star guard has a bone bruise in his left ankle and will sit out against Denver, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

Ball left Friday’s game early with soreness and never returned, another bump in what’s already been a frustrating start for Charlotte’s offense.

The Hornets have struggled to generate consistent scoring even with Ball on the floor. Taking him out of the mix again only tightens the screws.

Magic

Paolo Banchero finally made it back after a 10-game absence, and while the box score won’t shout it, his return mattered.

The Magic edged Miami by one, and Banchero gave them nine points, six rebounds and two assists in just 20 minutes. More importantly, he gave them a pulse.

“It’s going to take a couple of games,” Banchero said, via The Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede, “but I was just excited to be out there with the guys and get a win.”

Orlando has won seven of 10 and climbed into a tie for fourth in the East.

Now they get a rematch with the Heat in Tuesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal — a higher-stakes version of Friday’s grind.

Wizards

Cam Whitmore didn’t play Saturday, and it wasn’t because of the illness listed on the injury report. Coach Brian Keefe made it clear this was disciplinary.

“We have certain standards for our team,” Keefe said, per Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. “He has to live up to those.”