Why was Bam Adebayo injured vs Hornets?

What caused Bam Adebayo’s injury in the Hornets-Heat play-in?

Bam Adebayo was forced to leave Miami’s NBA Play-In game against Charlotte after a hard fall in the second quarter tied to a controversial sequence with LaMelo Ball.

Multiple game reports describe Ball getting tangled with Adebayo as the Heat big man came down awkwardly near the basket. Adebayo then exited early in the second quarter and did not return after the injury, ending Miami’s night and adding a major setback to a game Miami had to win to keep its season alive.

The incident immediately became a flashpoint off the court. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra publicly criticized Ball’s actions and suggested the play should have resulted in harsher punishment, framing it as dangerous play. Miami’s sideline and players treated the injury as both significant and preventable, while Charlotte’s playmaking moment—where the game ultimately swung to the Hornets—kept the controversy in the spotlight even after the outcome.

The basketball impact was immediate: Miami not only lost one of its key starters, but it also had to keep competing through the second half of a game that was already tight and high-stakes. Adebayo’s absence shaped late-game rotations and added pressure to the Heat to hold leads and execute down the stretch.

It mattered beyond the box score because Adebayo’s injury came during the last chance for Miami’s postseason. With the Heat eliminated in the play-in, the incident became part of the broader question of what changes—roster or strategy—Miami might make in the offseason to avoid a repeat of ending games without its central pieces.