LaMelo Ball is expected to miss the remainder of the season after fracturing his right ankle, per The Athletic's Shams Charania. Ball sustained the injury in the Hornets win over the Detroit Pistons on Monday, the Charlotte Hornets announced. The play came in the third quarter, with the Hornets leading by double digits. Ball was handling the basketball and attempted a behind-the-back dribble. He fell to the ground afterward in significant pain. He left the game and did not return.

The Hornets held on for a precarious 117-106 win, their fourth straight, but Ball's injury puts a damper on any positive vibes this streak might have generated. Ball leads the Hornets in points (23.4) and assists (8.5) per game this season, and his 3.9 made 3-pointers per game ranks fourth in the NBA behind only Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard.

Charlotte had already fallen out of playoff contention this season. Still, Ball's history of ankle injuries is concerning for a franchise that badly needs him to serve as their cornerstone moving forward. Ball missed the first 13 games of this season due to a sprained left ankle. He then rolled that ankle in just his third game back for the season and wound up missing another 11 games.

At 20-43, the Hornets have little left to play for this season, and with Ball now sidelined for the rest of it, the outlook for the final six weeks is even more bleak.