A ruling that hits the wallet only 
LaMelo Ball remains eligible. He will play in the final play-in qualifier against the Orlando Magic. The NBA has closed its review, and the league has opted for financial punishment only. No suspension has been handed down.
The paperwork comes in two parts. The first fine is $35,000, for the physical foul on Bam Adebayo. A second $25,000 penalty follows for the player using inappropriate language in his postgame media duties.
Damage done, but no live review
The incident came in the second quarter of the game against the Miami Heat. LaMelo Ball caused the Florida center to fall after clipping him around the ankle. The immediate medical update ruled it a lower back injury. Miami’s player had to leave for good. A near-identical play between the two players is already on the league’s books from January 2024.
No in-game penalty was called. The officials, led by Zach Zarba, said the pace of play made that impossible. The action rolled straight into transition, and with no immediate stoppage, the window for video review closed.
The foul gets upgraded after the fact
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra publicly questioned how dangerous the move was, and wanted the league to come down hard after losing his starting center. The NBA, at least partly, agreed.
The league reclassified the play as a Flagrant Foul 2, which would normally mean an immediate ejection if it had been called on the floor. But the final call stopped short of a suspension, with the league pointing to mitigating factors. Ball’s quick apology counted in his favour. He said the illegal action came after he was briefly disoriented following a head knock moments earlier.
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