'It's all basketball': LaMelo says no rift with Bam, glad he's OK - ESPN

ORLANDO — LaMelo Ball said he is relieved to see that Bam Adebayo was not more seriously injured after the Hornets point guard tripped the Heat center and knocked Adebayo out with a lower back injury early in the second quarter during Tuesday's Hornets' overtime Play-In win over Miami.

The NBA investigated the play and ruled it a flagrant 2 foul while also fining the Hornets star $35,000 for the foul, plus another $25,000 for using profanity in a postgame on-court interview. Ball was not suspended for Friday's Play-In game between the Orlando Magic and the Hornets to determine the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

«I'm kind of worried about this game today,» Ball said after the Hornets' morning shootaround in Orlando. «But like I said, I try to apologize and everything. Just look out for Bam. Mainly just make sure he's OK. We don't want nobody hurt in this league ever. So as long as he's good, it's helped [ease] my mind a little.»

Ball swiped at Adebayo's foot as the Heat center was trying to stay in bound following a rebound, sending him crashing to the floor and remaining down through two ensuing scores. Adebayo exited with 10:58 left in the second quarter and did not return in Tuesday's 127-126 overtime loss for Miami.

Ball said following that Hornets' win that he would seek out Adebayo and apologize to him. But Adebayo said on Thursday that he had yet to talk to Ball.

«Whenever I see him, [I will] try to talk to him,» Ball said. «After the game, I tried to talk to him. I was waiting by his his locker room and just talking to the security guard waiting for him. But he said he was in the shower and it's a tough game. I mean, you lose, you don't really like talking to people. So I just gave him his space