NBA rules Hornets’ Ball should have been ejected for trip of Heat’s Adebayo

TL;DR

The NBA ruled that LaMelo Ball should have been ejected for tripping Bam Adebayo during a play-in game, resulting in a $35,000 fine for Ball. Adebayo suffered a back injury and could not return, contributing to the Heat's season-ending loss to the Hornets.

Key points

LaMelo Ball should have been ejected for tripping Bam Adebayo.
Ball was fined $35,000 for the incident after the game.
Adebayo suffered a back injury and could not return to play.
The Hornets won the game 127-126 in overtime.
Spoelstra criticized the officiating for not calling the foul in real time.

LaMelo BallBam AdebayoCharlotte HornetsMiami Heat

MIAMI — In a case of too little way too late, the NBA ruled after the fact that Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball should have been ejected for the trip and takedown that took Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo out of Tuesday night’s play-in game. With Adebayo lost for the night early in the second quarter, the Heat went on to a season-ending 127-126 overtime loss at Spectrum Center that was decided on Ball’s game-winning driving layup with 4.7 seconds remaining in overtime. Upon video review of the incident, the NBA issued a statement that read: “Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has been fined $35,000 and assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 upon league office review for making unnecessary and reckless contact with Miami Heat center-forward Bam Adebayo that created a significant injury risk, it was announced today by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. “The incident occurred with 11:13 remaining in the second quarter of the Hornets’ 127-126 overtime win over the Heat on April 14 in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament.” Jones is the former Heat championship forward. Had the Flagrant 2 foul been assessed in real time, Ball would have been ejected at the same time Adebayo hobbled off with the back injury that effectively ended his season. Because of Ball’s winning basket, the Hornets will play at the Orlando Magic on Friday night for the opportunity to advance to the best-of-seven first round of the playoffs against the Eastern Conference top-seeded Detroit Pistons. Ball is eligible to play in that game, not impacted in that regard by the NBA ruling. No foul was called in real time by the officiating crew of Zach Zarba, Curtis Blair and Gediminas Petraitis. Afterward, Zarba said to a pool reporter, “The play wasn’t whistled in real time. Play continued with a fast break. And because play wasn’t stopped immediately, and there was no whistle on the play, the window to review the play was closed. Play was stopped, after a change of possession, and then a time out. So, by rule, our window to review that play then is closed.” On the play in question, with 11:13 remaining in the second quarter a Ball floater was blocked by Heat forward Simone Fontecchio, with Adebayo saving the ball from going out of bounds and sending it back to Fontecchio to save the possession. But as Adebayo stumbled to regain his balance, Ball reached out and pulled on Adebayo’s leg, similar to an incident between the two earlier in Adebayo’s career. The result left Adebayo writhing in pain, having to be helped off the court, unable to return, Following the game, Ball said, “I apologize on that one. I got hit in the head, didn’t really know where I was. But I’m gonna check on him and see if he’s OK and everything.” The eventual ruling was what Heat coach Erik Spoelstra wanted to see in real time.

Q&A

Why was LaMelo Ball fined and not ejected during the game against the Heat?

LaMelo Ball was fined $35,000 for a Flagrant Foul 2 after the game, as no foul was called in real time, which prevented an immediate ejection.

What injury did Bam Adebayo sustain during the play-in game?

Bam Adebayo suffered a lower back injury after being tripped by LaMelo Ball, which forced him to leave the game and not return.

How did the incident affect the outcome of the Hornets vs. Heat game?

The incident contributed to the Heat's loss, as they fell 127-126 in overtime, with Ball scoring the game-winning basket shortly after Adebayo's injury.

What did Heat coach Erik Spoelstra say about the officiating during the game?

Erik Spoelstra expressed frustration that Ball should have been ejected for the foul, emphasizing that there is no place for such actions in the game.