The NBA playoffs kicked off yesterday, and the Charlotte Hornets emerged victorious in their must-win game against the Miami Heat on Tuesday, April 14.
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But the team's star, LaMelo Ball, appeared to celebrate with notable intensity after making the game-winning shot in overtime.
What Did NBA Star LaMelo Ball Do?
With less than nine seconds left in overtime, Ball drove past defender Jaime Jaquez to score a layup, clinching the Hornets' victory in their first-ever Play-In game. Following the basket, he fell to the floor, and his teammates piled on him in celebration.
"We drew up a good play, I feel like, and just orchestrated it," said Ball. "It worked."
But earlier in the game, Ball fell after missing a shot and, in the process, tripped the Heat's Bam Adebayo. This led him to pull his opponent's leg and take Adebayo out of the game.
It appeared that Ball was trying to protect his arm, but Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra disagreed.
"He should have been thrown out of the game for that," Spoelstra said. "There is no place in the game for that."
Then Poor Hugo the Hornet Took a Hit
The game, which streamed on Prime Video, took another surprising turn when the feed went dark for two minutes during overtime. Fans were not happy about the "technical difficulties."
"Tell me the game didn't just cut off?!!? Am I trippin?? WTH," wrote LeBron James on X.
As the game resumed and the Hornets secured their wild win, Ball and his teammates embraced each other in celebration. Hugo the Hornet, looking to join in, approached the star. Ball jokingly threw several playful punches at Hugo the Hornet, the team's mascot.
While Ball's reaction was good fun, it's not the only time an NBA player has caused harm to an innocent bystander.
For example, a year ago, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks accidentally broke Martha Stewart's toe at a game. The media mogul didn't blame Brunson for the incident and even appeared on Brunson's podcast to discuss it.
Stewart told Brunson, "You didn't know. It's not your fault, it's my fault for wearing open-toe shoes to a basketball game."
