How NBA Is Reportedly Handling LaMelo Ball’s Trip of Bam Adebayo Ahead of Hornets Game Friday

The league will reportedly speak to the guard directly about the play that injured Bam Adebayo as it weighs potential punishment ahead of Friday’s game.

LaMelo Ball scored the game-winning basket for the Hornets in overtime on Tuesday, after being involved in a second-quarter play that resulted in Bam Adebayo leaving the game with an injury. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Tuesday night’s NBA play-in tournament game was an eventful one for Hornets star LaMelo Ball. The young guard scored a game-high 30 points, including the game-winning layup in overtime.

He was also involved in what may have been the second most consequential play of the night in the second quarter. And now, it may impact him going forward with Charlotte in need of one more win to make the playoffs.

With just over 11 minutes remaining in the half, Ball took the ball into the paint and put up a floater that was blocked by Heat forward Simone Fontecchio. Bam Adebayo caught the loose ball and saved it from going out of bounds, passing it back to Fontecchio to start a fast break. As Adebayo came down, Ball grabbed his ankle, which appeared to cause his violent fall.

DID LAMELO TRIP BAM HERE!? 😬

Not an ideal start to the post season for Miami, as Bam Adebayo exits the court with a lower back injury after a hard landing.#NBA pic.twitter.com/s7x8OOoPIW

— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) April 15, 2026

Adebayo, Miami’s best player, left the game with a back injury and would not return. The Hornets took home the win in overtime, 127–126, to advance in the play-in tournament, while the Heat were eliminated.

No foul was assessed on the play, though as we’ve seen before, the NBA can do so retroactively. And according to league insider Chris Haynes, the league will review the play ahead Friday’s play-in tournament finale.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania on NBA Today, the league has already reached out to the Hornets and Heat about the situation, and will speak to Ball “and other related parties” directly during its investigation.

What does the NBA review mean for Ball? Could he be suspended for Friday’s game?

LaMelo Ball’s grab of Bam Adebayo’s ankle will be reviewed by the NBA ahead of Friday’s Hornets game. | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

That much is unclear. The most likely result, if the NBA opts to discipline Ball, is to assess him a flagrant foul ahead of Friday’s game.

That likely won’t result in a suspension. In the postseason, the NBA has a point system for flagrant fouls that can add up to a one-game suspension. A flagrant 1 is worth one point, while a flagrant 2 is worth two points and an ejection. If a player accumulates four points, he will be suspended for one game.

The league can go above the flagrant foul point system to suspend a player for an egregious play. This doesn’t quite seem to rise to that level, even when considering the impact of Adebayo’s injury on a one-point overtime game. On ESPN’s First Take on Wednesday morning, insider and analyst Brian Windhorst said that he wouldn’t be surprised if the league gives Ball a flagrant foul, but he does not expect him to earn a suspension.

“Because Bam Adebayo was injured on the play that badly, they could have ejected [Ball],” Windhorst said. “Calling this a flagrant 2 would not have been egregious. And then you’ve got some people that were wondering if he’s going to be suspended for Friday’s game, which will be when the Hornets can play to get the No. 8 seed. I do not think he will be suspended, however, I do expect the league to retroactively assess a flagrant.”

Charania agreed in his NBA Today hit, saying there’s “a chance this gets upgraded to a flagrant 1 or flagrant 2,” but that “there is doubt about whether this really rises to the level of a suspension.”

Charlotte will take on the loser of Wednesday’s 76ers vs. Magic game on Friday, with the winner of that game earning the No. 8 seed to face the Pistons in the first round.

Why was no foul called on Ball during the game?

The injury to Bam Adebayo on Tuesday likely altered the outcome, as the Heat fell in overtime. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Crew chief Zach Zarba was asked by the no-call after Tuesday’s game, and explained that because there was no immediate whistle, and no stoppage in play with the Heat going on a fast break off of Ball’s shot being blocked, the window to call a foul on Ball closed.

“The play wasn’t whistled in real time,” Zarba said. “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.”

Zarba said that the play was reviewed by the officials at the half, and said said that it is now up to the league to review the situation. According to Haynes, that is now happening.

Ball explained his side of the play after the game

The Hornets guard said that the trip of Adebayo was an accident after he was hit on the head and was disoriented, and that he planned to check in on the Heat center.

“I apologize on that one. I got hit in the head, didn't really know where I was, but I'ma check on him and see if he's O.K. and everything,” Ball said Tuesday night.

When asked if the grab was intentional, Ball said, “I haven’t even seen it. Like I said, I got hit in the head, didn’t even know where I was. Just playing basketball.”

That is little solace for Miami, which now heads home for the offseason. Coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game that he believed the play was egregious enough that Ball should have been ejected.

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