Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball apologized to Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo. Find out why.
After the Charlotte Hornets beat the Miami Heat in the 9-10 NBA play-in game, LaMelo Ball apologized to Bam Adebayo.
Ball yanked Adebayo's left foot on a rebound, sending the Heat center hard to the floor and injuring his lower back in the second quarter.
Adebayo didn't return to the game.
"I apologize on that one," Ball said. "I got hit in the head [on the play] and didn't really know where I was. But I'm going to check on him, see if he's OK and everything."
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters that Ball should have been ejected for the play.
"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 hit the game-winning layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime. He finished with 30 points and 10 assists.
"We drew up a good play, I feel like, and just orchestrated it," Ball said. "It worked."
The Hornets will face the loser of the Philadelphia 76ers-Orlando Magic 7-8 play-in game.
The winner will be the eighth seed in the East and face the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2026 playoffs.
"My kids told me I'm not allowed to say 'lit' anymore, but I thought that the environment in there was exactly how I pictured it," Hornets coach Charles Lee said of the Spectrum Center crowd. "The support all game from the crowd, the noise, the everything, the drama I think I heard a little bit -- we were glad that we were able to pull this one out for the Charlotte fans, because they have definitely helped us throughout the whole year. And that's the environment that we want to keep having night after night."
Ball is the fourth player with at least 30 points and 10 assists in a play-in game.
The Hornets haven't made the playoffs since 2016. Let's see if they can do it this year.
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