Charlotte Hornets players LaMelo Ball chose an interesting way to celebrate a meaningful win against the Miami Heat: He punched the team mascot in the face.
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The unexpected moment occurred on Tuesday night after the Hornets won their first home playoff game in a decade. Ball, who had scored a layup with 4.7 seconds remaining in overtime, joined the celebration after teammate Miles Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell's layup attempt to secure the win.
Cameras caught Ball as he walked up to Hugo the mascot. The NBA player first slapped hands and then he threw two jabs to the mascot's head. Hugo stumbled away, trying to catch his balance, while Ball and Coby White embraced.
Nah y'all please look at LaMelo Ball and Hugo after the win 😂 pic.twitter.com/U1vtKCsWu8
— Cam Gaskins (@CamGaskinsTV) April 15, 2026
None of the media members asked Ball about the stunning moment after the game. Footage of the punches had not yet circulated on social media and drawn attention.
Instead, the focus remained on how the Hornets had stayed alive in the play-in tournament and the plays on the court that Ball made. He led the Hornets in scoring with 30 points as he went 12-of-31. He also led the team in assists with 10. He added five rebounds during this back-and-forth battle.
The scoring performance helped Ball recover from some earlier mistakes in this game. He appeared to use his hand to swipe Bam Adebayo's leg, causing the Heat player to fall and sustain a back injury. Adebayo did not return.
Ball also turned the ball over at midcourt before fouling Heat player Tyler Herro on a three-point attempt. This set up multiple free throws, which Herro used to give the Heat a 126-125 lead. He ultimately redeemed himself with the layup to give the Hornets a 127-126 score at the end.
Now, the team has a game set for Friday against a to-be-announced opponent. This provides the opportunity to become the fifth team to win into the NBA Playoffs via the play-in tournament.
The other teams to achieve this were Memphis in 2021, Atlanta and New Orleans in 2022, and Miami in 2025.
