The Charlotte Hornets avoided the worst. The NBA has officially handed down its judgment on one of the most polarizing sequences of the 2026 postseason, and while Charlotte will keep its star guard available, the fallout remains contentious across the league.

Following a league-wide outcry and a scathing review of the tape, LaMelo Ball has been hit with a double-whammy of five-figure fines totaling $60,000, Shams Charania confirmed. A $35,000 is for his trip of Adebayo. The NBA further upgrades the action to a Flagrant, adding another $25,000 fine for cursing postgame.

Despite upgrading the call, the NBA stopped short of issuing a suspension- an outcome that has left many around the league, especially in Miami, dissatisfied.

“He should be penalized for that. I don’t think that belongs in the game, tripping guys. Somebody has got to see that. He should have been thrown out of the game for that,” the Miami head coach said in an extended rant after the game. He hasn’t responded on this punishment yet.

The incident’s severity cannot be overstated: Adebayo, Miami’s defensive anchor, suffered a lower back injury, potentially a sacral contusion or even fracture after tumbling awkwardly to the floor and landing hard on his tailbone following Ball’s controversial trip.

He was ruled out for the second half of the play-in loss, and the diagnosis helps explain the Heat’s outrage. Injuries of this nature can sideline players for weeks or longer.

The decision clears the question of LaMelo Ball’s availability for the Play-In finale against the Orlando Magic on April 17. However, it leaves the Miami Heat frustrated with what they likely perceive as a slap on the wrist after ending their All-Star’s season.

LaMelo Ball expressed remorse for the incident

During the Play-In matchup between the Hornets and the Miami Heat, a sequence of events in the second quarter outraged most viewers. LaMelo fell on his back, and during that, his hand grabbed Bam Adebayo’s ankle, tripping him to the floor. The game proceeded to the other end, and no call was made at the moment.

However, Bam was left in significant pain and had to be helped back to the locker room. He was ruled out for the rest of the game.

Without their defensive stopper, the Heat staggered. LaMelo, who was not ejected, remained through overtime and hit the game-winning shot with less than five seconds on the clock. The Heat ended up eliminated in a 127-126 loss due to the non-call in the first half.

That decision, however, was enormously significant for Charlotte.

The Hornets are simply not built to survive without Ball, their offensive engine. He averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds this season while shooting 40.7% from the field and 36.8% from three across 72 games.

The team’s record stresses his importance: Charlotte went 41–31 with Ball in the lineup but stumbled to 3–7 without him, a stark contrast that highlights his irreplaceable value.

By avoiding suspension, Ball is cleared to play in the Play-In finale against the Orlando Magic on April 17- an outcome that could ultimately shape the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

After the game, LaMelo Ball took a remorseful stance while explaining he was disoriented. “I apologize on that one,” Ball told reporters. “I got hit in the head, didn’t really know where I was, but I’mma check on him and see if he’s okay and everything.”

Regardless of his apology and explanation, South Beach was out for blood. The officiating crew deferred the matter to the NBA for assessment.

The league reportedly interviewed Ball about the sequence of events. According to Charania, the league was considering a lighter punishment for the guard.

“My understanding is the NBA has already made contact with the Heat and the Hornets about this matter. Over the next several hours, they’re going to eventually interview LaMelo Ball himself and other related parties,” said Charania.

“And people involved around this situation and the investigations so far tell me certainly, there’s a chance this gets upgraded to a flagrant one or flagrant two with a foul. There is doubt about whether this really rises to the level of a suspension,” he concluded.

As Charania said, the lack of suspension comes as a massive relief for a Hornets squad that is not built to survive without Ball.

By upgrading the trip to a Flagrant 2 (retroactively), the NBA is acknowledging that the contact was “egregious” and merited an ejection at the time, yet they ultimately determined it did not meet the threshold for a multi-game ban.