Bam Adebayo injured after LaMelo Ball trips him. Heat coach says Ball should have been ejected

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) 鈥� Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said LaMelo Ball should have been ejected for tripping Bam Adebayo, leading to a lower back injury that knocked the Heat’s star center out of Tuesday night’s to the Charlotte Hornets.

Ball fell to the floor after missing a shot on a drive to the basket early in the second quarter, and appeared to reach out with his left arm and grab Adebayo’s left leg, causing the big man to fall on his back.

Ball was not called for a foul, and Adebayo remained on the floor as play continued. He eventually got up and walked to the locker room under his own power but did not return.

鈥淗e should have been thrown out of the game for that,鈥� Spoelstra said. 鈥淭here is no place in the game for that.鈥�

Adebayo did not speak to reporters.

Ball, who scored 30 points and with 4.7 seconds left in overtime, but said he was disoriented because he had been hit in the head on the drive.

鈥淚 apologize on that one,鈥� Ball said. 鈥淚 got hit in the head and didn鈥檛 really know where I was. But I鈥檓 going to check on him and see if he is OK and everything.鈥�

When asked if he intentionally grabbed Adebayo鈥檚 leg, Ball said he hadn鈥檛 seen a replay and added, 鈥淟ike I said, I got hit in the head and didn鈥檛 know where I was and was just playing basketball. But like I said, sorry, and I鈥檓 going to check on him.鈥�

Ball remained in the game and was not immediately checked for a concussion.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 cute, and I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 funny,鈥� Spoelstra said after the loss, which ended Miami’s season. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a stupid play. It鈥檚 a dangerous play and obviously our best player was out. I鈥檓 not making an excuse. The Hornets played great and made those plays down the stretch. We had opportunities to win.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 a shame. He should be penalized for that. I don鈥檛 think that belongs in the game, you know, tripping guys, shenanigans.鈥�

Official Zach Zarba explained in a pool report why the play was not reviewed.

鈥淭he play wasn鈥檛 whistled in real time. Play continued with a fast break. And because play wasn鈥檛 stopped immediately, and there was no whistle on the play, the window to review the play was closed,鈥� Zarba said. 鈥淧lay was stopped, after a change of possession, and then a timeout. So, by rule, our window to review that play then is closed.鈥�

Zarba said the officiating crew reviewed the play at halftime.

When asked if Ball should have been assessed a flagrant foul, Zarba said, 鈥淎t this point, that goes to league operations, and they鈥檒l make a determination on that in the coming days. So, they will make that determination and go from there.鈥�

Ball had only one flagrant foul this season, on Feb. 5 against Houston.

Andrew Wiggins said seeing Adebayo go down was a 鈥済ut punch鈥� for the Heat.

鈥淭o lose the leader of the team, the captain of the team, seeing him go down was definitely tough and guys had to rally around that,鈥� Wiggins said.

Despite the loss of Adebayo, who last month, Miami had a chance to win at the end of regulation, but Tyler Herro missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

In overtime, Herro put the Heat up by one when he made three free throws with 8.7 seconds left after getting fouled by Ball following a Hornets turnover. Before that play, Herro hit a turnaround corner 3.

But Ball’s driving layup saved the day for the Hornets.

Miami’s Davion Mitchell said he hadn’t seen video of the play where Adebayo was hurt, but called it a 鈥渉igh-intensity game.鈥�

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 grab nobody鈥檚 ankle, but I grabbed somebody鈥檚 shirt,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淚 just think it was just a physical game because we were both fighting for our lives just to stay in. Obviously you don鈥檛 want to see Bam get hurt, especially like that, but it was a physical game.鈥�

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