Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was fined by the NBA but not suspended for tripping Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo during Charlotte’s play-in victory on Tuesday night.
The NBA completed its assessment of the incident on Wednesday, and it handed Ball a $35,000 fine for the play and retroactively assessed a flagrant-2 foul. Had a flagrant-2 foul been called during the game, Ball would have been ejected. Instead, no call was made, and Ball went on to be the hero of the Hornets’ 127-126 overtime win.
The second-quarter incident knocked Adebayo out of the do-or-die game with a back injury.
NBA executive vice president/head of basketball operations James Jones wrote in a press release that Ball’s actions “created a significant injury risk.”
The league also issued Ball a separate $25,000 fine for swearing in a live TV interview following the game.
On Friday, Ball and the Hornets will face the loser of the Wednesday play-in game between the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers. The winner will earn the No. 8 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.
Ball tried to explain his actions following the Hornets’ Tuesday victory.
“I apologize on that one. I got hit in the head (on the preceding action) and didn’t really know where I was,” he said. “But I’m going to check on him, see if he’s OK and everything.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Ball should have been ejected after he yanked Adebayo’s left foot, sending the Miami center crashing hard to the court. Ball was on the floor and he pulled the foot as Adebayo chased the loose ball.
“I didn’t see it (when it happened), but I don’t think it’s cute,” Spoelstra said. “I don’t think it’s funny. I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play. Obviously, our best player was out.
“I’m not making an excuse. The Hornets played great and they made those plays down the stretch. We had our opportunities to win. That’s a shame. You should be penalized for that. I don’t think that belongs in the game — tripping guys, shenanigans.”
Ball, 24, wound up with 30 points, including a layup with 4.7 seconds left in OT for the game-winning points.
Adebayo, 28, had six points and three rebounds before exiting. The three-time All-Star averaged a double-double during the regular season, putting up 20.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest.
–Field Level Media
