LaMelo Ball's eventful Tuesday night has proven costly, with the NBA fining the Charlotte Hornets star a total of $60,000 for two separate incidents during a critical play-in tournament victory over the Miami Heat.

The league issued a $35,000 penalty for a Flagrant Foul 2, citing "unnecessary and reckless contact" after Ball appeared to trip Heat center Bam Adebayo in the second quarter. The play resulted in a lower back injury that forced Adebayo out of the game. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra was vocal in his criticism, stating, "He should have been thrown out of the game for that. There is no place in the game for that."

Ball, who scored 30 points and hit the game-winning layup in overtime, later apologized, explaining he was disoriented after being hit in the head on the play. "I apologize on that one," Ball said postgame. "I got hit in the head and didn’t really know where I was."

The second fine, amounting to $25,000, stemmed from Ball using profane language during a live postgame interview on the court. Despite the financial penalties, Ball avoided a suspension and is cleared to play in Friday's high-stakes matchup against the Orlando Magic, where a Hornets win would secure the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The sequence underscores the intense pressure and physical nature of play-in tournament basketball, where every possession and reaction is magnified. While Ball's on-court flair is a major draw for the Hornets, this incident serves as a reminder of the fine line players walk between competitive fire and costly infractions.