LeBron James reacts to Ball family reunion as brothers LaMelo, Lonzo take on each other

Last year, Lonzo and LeMelo Ball became the first brothers to be picked as the top five picks in the 2020 NBA Draft. Both in different teams, LaMelo and Lonzo faced off in January, the younger outplaying his bother. Now, as the regular season is coming to an end, both brothers faced off again on Sunday (Monday IST). Fans and players remained excited about their showdown, hyping them up after Lonzo posted a photo on Instagram. Is this significant ahead of the NBA play-in tournament date? Here is more -

LeBron James reacts to LaMelo Ball and Lonzo Ball's showdown

"Forever proud," Lonzo wrote, adding a black heart emoji and a photo of his younger brother facing him. LaMelo Ball, a possible choice for the Rookie of the Year award this season, has recently returned to the court after his wrist injury. The New Orleans Pelicans beat the Charlotte Hornets 112-110, somehow still keeping their play-in tournament hopes alive. 

LaMelo Ball, however, still outplayed his brother. The 19-year-old Hornets star scored 22 points for the team, Lonzo scoring 12 for the Pelicans. The Pelicans are currently ranked 11th in the West, one game below the No. 11 seeded San Antonio Spurs. The Hornets, on their end, are headed to the play-in tournament as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. If the Pelicans rank 10th by the end, they will be competing in the play-in tournament instead of the Spurs. 

While Lonzo shared a moment from the Pelicans-Hornets game, stars and fans flooded comments about the Ball brothers. LeBron James, who was also tagged by a few fans, commented on his own. "So," James wrote, adding a bunch of fire emojis to try and explain how excited he was. 

What will be the current NBA playoffs bracket?

Eastern Conference

• Philadelphia 76ers (No.1) vs Charlotte Hornets (No. 8)
• Brooklyn Nets (No. 2) vs Boston Celtics (No. 7)
• Milwaukee Bucks (No. 3) vs Miami Heat (No. 6)
• New York Knicks (No. 4) vs Atlanta Hawks (No. 5)

Western Conference

• Utah Jazz (No. 1) vs Golden State Warriors (No. 8)
• Phoenix Suns (No. 2) vs Los Angeles Lakers (No. 7)
• Los Angeles Clippers (No. 3) vs Portland Trail Blazers (No. 6)
• Denver Nuggets (No. 4) vs Dallas Mavericks (No. 5)

NBA play-in tournament date and schedule

• Second half of the NBA regular season ends – May 16 EST (May 17 IST)
• Play-in tournament – May 18 to 21 EST (May 19 to May 22 IST)
• NBA playoffs date – May 22 to July 22 EST (May 23 to July 23 IST)

(Image credits: Lonzo Ball Instagram, AP)