Years back, he was the talk of the town for scoring 92 points as a sophomore in high school. Now, LaMelo Ball is making a case as the number one pick in the NBA down under.

Ball sets a new NBL record as he became the youngest ever to score a triple-double in a game as the Illawarra Hawks beat Cairns Taipans, 114-106, in overtime. He played his historic game with Charlotte Hornets’ General Manager Mitch Kupchak in attendance.

The 18-year old guard finished with 32 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds including some clutch baskets, including the three-pointer to send the game to overtime with only five seconds left in regulation. He’s made a living out of dishing out pretty assists in the extra period and even drove the lane for a throwdown to the delight of the crowd.

Having played for over 40 minutes, the youngest of the Ball brothers already notched his historic feat over three minutes left in the third quarter after lobbing a pass to Andrew Ogilvy off a pick-and-roll play for his 10th dime of the night. He also turned the ball just twice the entire night.

Without their main man in former NBA guard Aaron Brooks, he’s now leading his team in three categories – in scoring with 14.7 a game, rebounding at 6.7 per outing and in assists in more than six per match according to the league’s website.

Leading only by a single point, the Taipans went to Scott Machado who made a triple with only 68 ticks left in regulation to raise the gap to four, 99-95 before Ball’s heroics came in the picture. The former NBA pro, who has played with the Golden State Warriors and with the Los Angeles Lakers a few months ago, finished with 22 points and season-high 13 assists to lead Cairns in a losing cause.

The Hawks’ win, however, is only their third out of 11 games – all victories coming at the expense of Cairns.

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LaMelo Ball at a practice session with Illawarra Hawks Lonzo Wire - USA Today
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