LaMelo Ball 8 points on 3-of-14 vs Pistons (Dec 20, 2025): lowest of 18 games
8 PTS · 3-of-14 FG · 2-of-7 3P · 23:06 MIN
Usual before this game: 20.3 PTS · 17.6 FGA · 29.2 MIN, from this season's 17 games plus last season's average, counted as 1.5 games
Lowest Game Score of 18 games this season: 0.9 against a usual 15.4 (-14.5)
Season-low 8 points (previous low 11, set on Nov 26, 2025 and Dec 5, 2025)
below usual
No more than 4 in 100 games by players at this level finish this far below their usual.
For a player who plays every game, a game this far below the usual comes about 2 to 4 times a season.
How the score worksWhy did LaMelo Ball score 8 points?
LaMelo Ball scored 8 points against the Pistons on Dec 20, 2025 in 23:06: 3-of-14 from the field (21.4%), 2-of-7 from three (28.6%), no free throw attempts. Before this game, the usual line was 20.3 points on 17.6 shots in 29.2 minutes: this season's 17 games plus last season's average, counted as 1.5 games. The previous low this season was 11 points. By Game Score it was the lowest of 18 games this season. Shot attempts: 14, against a usual 17.6. From two-pointers, 2 points against a usual 8.4; from free throws, 0 points against a usual 3.4; from threes, 6 points against a usual 8.5. Ball played 23:06 against a usual 29.2 minutes; per 36 minutes the Game Score was 1.4, against a usual 19.0. The Hornets lost 112-86 at the Pistons, a 26-point loss. The box score records what changed, not why: it holds no injury, matchup or coaching information.
Generated from the box score and this season's game log. How the score works
What changed
Ball in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (blended) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 23:06 | 29.2 | -6.1 |
| Points | 8 | 20.3 | -12.3 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 14 · 21.4% | 17.6 · 40.0% | -3.6 · -18.6 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 7 · 28.6% | 8.9 · 32.0% | -1.9 · -3.4 |
| FTA · FT% | 0-of-0 | 3.9 · 87.3% | -3.9 |
| Rebounds | 1 | 5.8 | -4.8 |
| Assists | 6 | 8.7 | -2.7 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 3.5 | +0.5 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 17 games | 31.0 | 32.4 | -1.4 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 1.4 | 19.0 | -17.6 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (blended) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threes | 6 (2-of-7) | 8.5 (2.8-of-8.9) | -2.5 |
| Twos | 2 (1-of-7) | 8.4 (4.2-of-8.7) | -6.4 |
| Free throws | 0 (0-of-0) | 3.4 (3.4-of-3.9) | -3.4 |
| Total | 8 | 20.3 | -12.3 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
0.9 against a usual 15.4 (-14.5)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | -11.2 |
| Rebounds | -1.9 |
| Assists | -1.9 |
| Steals and blocks | +2.2 |
| Turnovers and fouls | -1.7 |
| Total | -14.5 |
Season so far
Regular season, in date order
Lowest Game Score of 18 games this season.
Previous lowest: 3.2, set on Nov 26, 2025.
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Hornets lost 112-86 at the Pistons, a 26-point loss.
- Previous appearance: Dec 18, 2025, 2 days earlier.
- No earlier regular-season meetings with the Pistons this season.
What this page cannot tell you
The same on every performance page
Box scores record what happened, not why: no injuries or health, defensive assignments, matchups, coaching decisions or play-by-play.
Game Score against the player's own usual line. How rare a gap is comes from NBA regular-season games of 2023-24 and 2024-25, checked on 2025-26.