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Erik Spoelstra believes LaMelo Ball should have been ejected for tripping Bam Adebayo
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- Erik Spoelstra believes LaMelo Ball should have been ejected for tripping Bam Adebayo
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The Miami Heat dropped Tuesday night's game against the Charlotte Hornets , ending their season before they could even reach the NBA playoffs. But Heat coach Erik Spoelstra took issue with something else after the game.
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Bam Adebayo left the game with 10:58 remaining in the second quarter after taking a hard fall on his back. The replays of the fall, however, showed that Hornets guard LaMelo Ball grabbed Adebayo's ankle and pulled, forcing him to fall on his back.
Adebayo would leave the win-or-go-home contest and not return, finishing the night with just six points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 11 minutes of action on 3-of-3 shooting.
Spoelstra took exception to the incident, which was not reviewed because the officials weren't able to go back and review it due to a fast break opportunity that happened simultaneously.
"I didn't see it, but that I don't think it's cute," Spoelstra said after the Heat loss . "I don't think it's funny. I think it's a stupid play. It's a dangerous play. Obviously, our best player is out. I'm not making an excuse. The Hornets played great, you know, and they made those plays down the stretch. We had opportunities to win.
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"I just, that's a shame, you know, you should be penalized for that. I don't think that belongs in the game, you know, tripping guys, you know, shenanigans and, you know, Curtis was there. It's his responsibility to see that. And if it's not his responsibility, then Zach's got to see it. If, you know, somebody has got to see that and that, you know, he should have been thrown out of the game, you know, for that. I don't know him from, you know, anyone. I just, there's no place in the game for that. Obviously, you know, it took Bam out of the game, but that did not deter us."
After the game, crew chief Zach Zarba explained why the play wasn't reviewed.
"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."
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LaMelo Ball, who remained in the game without punishment, finished the game with 30 points, five rebounds, and 10 assists, including the game-winning, go-ahead layup with 4.7 seconds remaining to beat the Heat.
The Hornets now advance to take on the winner of the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic 7-8 play-in matchup.
Related: Heat's Tyler Herro isn't pleased with LaMelo Ball tripping Bam Adebayo: 'Not the right play'
Related: NBA fans rip Amazon for botching coverage of Hornets-Heat showdown
