Erik Spoelstra slams LaMelo Ball's dangerous play that injured Bam Adebayo, demanding penalties and questioning the officiating.
The Miami Heat’s 2025-26 campaign ends in the first round of the Play-In Tournament following a 127-126 overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night. Despite the back-and-forths and notable performances, the game was altered in one crucial moment. Early in the second quarter, LaMelo Ball was blocked by Simone Fontecchio on a layup attempt. After falling flat on the court, the former All-Star guard swooped Bam Adebayo’s legs from underneath him and suffered a lower back injury, never returning to the game afterwards.
Despite the team’s tremendous efforts without its captain, it wasn’t enough to advance to victory. After the game, coach Erik Spoelstra wasn’t pleased with Ball’s actions.
“I didn’t see it [in live time],” he said. “I don’t think it's cute, 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 any excuse; the Hornets played great. They made those plays down the stretch. We had our opportunities to win. That’s a shame, [Ball] should be penalized for that, I don’t think that belongs in the game, tripping guys, shenanigans, [referee] Curtis [Blair] was there. It’s his responsibility to see that. If it’s not his responsibility, then Zach’s [Zarba] got to see it. Somebody has got to see that. [Ball] should have been thrown out of the game for that. There’s no place in the game for that. Obviously, it took Bam out of the game, but that did not deter us. If there’s anything about our locker room, the guys just got into the competition, and we had our opportunities to win this game. It felt like we were going to win the game going down the stretch in regulation. One stop out of those last three possessions would’ve sealed it.”
Adebayo played in over 70 regular-season games in four consecutive years. Usually, when the 28-year-old isn’t present on the court, it puts the team’s defense at a disadvantage. The Heat didn’t falter against the Hornets on either side. Second-year center Kel’el Ware made the most of the extended opportunities, finishing the game with 12 points on 41.7 percent shooting, 19 rebounds, four assists, and five blocks in 42 minutes. However, coach Spoelstra didn’t play the 21-year-old in the final 54.3 seconds in overtime.
According to the Pool Report, Ball could still face disciplinary action as the Hornets' playoff hopes remain alive.
“At this point, that goes to league operations,” Zarba said. “They will make a determination on that in the coming days. They will make that determination and go from there.”
However, it does the Heat no good as the organization undergoes an early offseason.
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