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LaMelo Ball had laughable excuse for tripping Bam Adebayo
TL;DR
LaMelo Ball made a game-winning shot for the Charlotte Hornets but faced backlash for tripping Bam Adebayo, who was injured and did not return. Ball claimed he was unaware of his surroundings due to being hit in the head, which drew criticism from Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.
LaMelo Ball was the hero and the villain for the Charlotte Hornets in their play-in win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.
On the one hand, the star guard made the game-winning overtime basket to send Charlotte to the East's No. 8 seed game this Friday. On the other hand, replays showed Ball pretty clearly tripping Heat center Bam Adebayo in an early loose-ball sequence. Adebayo, who is widely considered the Heat's best player, was both injured on the play and did not return to the game as Miami's season came to an end.
Naturally, with the Hornets' season still alive, there was no reality where Ball wouldn't face questions for his role in the Adebayo incident. In his postgame press conference, Ball first apologized before claiming that he got hit in the head, so he wasn't totally aware of his place on the court in relation to Adebayo, and that he would go check on him. To put it lightly, that is not how Heat coach Erik Spoelstra viewed the situation.
So, uh, sure, man. Sure. Whatever you say:
Ball's excuse here is so laughable. He is effectively using getting hit in the head to claim that he doesn't really remember what happened to distance himself from any potential culpability. It probably won't work, but this line of attack somewhat makes sense for Ball, considering that the NBA will reportedly review what happened between Ball and Adebayo on the play in the coming days. Still, in a question of whether or not he tripped Adebayo on purpose, Ball's deflective answer is very telling.
That is, if we didn't have the egregious camera angle and replay to see first.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: LaMelo Ball sounded so guilty about tripping Bam Adebayo
Q&A
What happened to Bam Adebayo during the game against the Charlotte Hornets?
Bam Adebayo was tripped by LaMelo Ball during a loose-ball sequence, resulting in an injury that prevented him from returning to the game.
How did LaMelo Ball justify tripping Bam Adebayo?
LaMelo Ball claimed he was hit in the head and was unaware of his position on the court, which led to the incident with Adebayo.
What was the outcome of the Charlotte Hornets vs. Miami Heat game?
The Charlotte Hornets won the game in overtime, securing the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, while the Miami Heat's season ended with the loss.
