The Charlotte Hornets beat the Miami Heat 127-126 in a narrow play-in clash at the Spectrum Center. But what caught the eye of the sporting world was LaMelo Ball’s controversial antics against Heat big man Bam Adebayo.
Late in the second quarter, Ball grabbed Adebayo’s left ankle after the Hornets guard’s failed layup attempt. This caused the Heat star to fall near the baseline, where he sustained an injury. Adebayo was forced out of the game for the rest of the night, and his absence certainly cost the Heat.
NBA Announces Major Fine For LaMelo Ball
Insider Chris Haynes announced earlier today that the NBA was officially launching a review into the incident. Now, the NBA’s decision has been confirmed.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/vhFHtYQhv1
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 16, 2026
“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,” James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations, said in a statement.
The statement also mentioned, “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. Ball has been fined an additional $25,000 for using profane language during a live postgame television interview.”
No foul was called at the time because the referees were unable to review the play, as the action had continued. The officials reviewed it at halftime but were unable to upgrade it under league rules.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was blunt during the postgame interview as well. He called out Ball’s ‘stupid’ play and believed that the latter should have been ejected from the game right away. Ball himself apologized, saying he got hit in the head on the preceding play and was not fully aware of what happened.
The Hornets star will be paying a total of $60,000 in fines, and the action will be upgraded to a Flagrant. But it still comes as a surprise to many that he has escaped a suspension.
But it isn’t all that surprising considering what happened with Joel Embiid, which must be mentioned, too. The Philadelphia 76ers’ big man grabbed Mitchell Robinson’s leg back in April 2024, and he wasn’t forced to suffer any harsh punishments.
The Hornets will now face the Orlando Magic, who are coming off a loss against the Sixers. The teams will square off on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET. The Hornets will certainly be relieved that Ball has escaped a suspension, as his presence would surely be pivotal for them to officially clinch a postseason spot.
