NBA fines LaMelo Ball for 'reckless' play, but does not suspend Charlotte Hornets star

[p]One day after the Hornets ousted [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/miami-heat/CQ7AXnT5/"]Miami[/a] from the play-in tournament [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/charlotte-hornets-xftMikUg/miami-heat-CQ7AXnT5/?mid=nu8AhKz3"]with a nail-biting 127-126 overtime triumph[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ball-lamelo/fskMOC1n/"]Ball[/a] was fined and assessed a flagrant 2 foul for the controversial play early in the second quarter.[/p][p]Ball fell to the court after a shot attempt was blocked and reached out to grab at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/adebayo-bam/IPZuNhhs/"]Adebayo[/a]'s foot, sending him crashing to the court.[/p][p]Adebayo limped out of the contest and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was livid that Ball wasn't ejected.[/p][p]"[b]I think it's a stupid play. It's a dangerous play[/b]," Spoelstra said after the game. "[b]I don't think that belongs in the game. Tripping guys, shenanigans. Someone has got to see that. And he should have been thrown out of the game for that.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="b63d5d60-238b-4954-b601-6f88b615616d" url="https://x.com/NBAPR/status/2044593522603438176?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]But Ball remained in the game and delivered the winning basket. He won't be suspended for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/charlotte-hornets/xftMikUg/"]Charlotte[/a]'s must-win second play-in game.[/p][p]They'll host the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/orlando-magic/QZMS36Dn/"]Orlando Magic[/a] on Friday for the Eastern Conference eighth seed and a first-round playoff series against top-seeded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/detroit-pistons/UcjMRj6J/"]Detroit[/a].[/p][p]Ball, who apologized after the game, saying he'd been hit on the head and "didn't know where I was," was fined an additional $25,000 for using profane language during a live postgame television interview.[/p]