Heat lose to Hornets without Bam Adebayo after potentially dirty LaMelo Ball play

The teams played on and Ware stepped up, blocking four shots and reaching double-digit rebounds early in the third quarter. Andrew Wiggins stepped as a scorer, putting up 27 points and Davion Mitchell finished with 28, both sinking four three-pointers each.

Ankle grabs have led to playoff chaos before

It's not totally uncommon to see a frontcourt player get his ankle grabbed, especially when he has a chance to start a fast break. Three years ago, Domantas Sabonis grabbed Draymond Green's ankle and was called for a flagrant foul. Green responded by stomping on Sabonis' chest, and he got suspended for a game.

Could Ball have been rattled? He shot 2-of-16 from deep for the game, and 1-of-13 after Adebayo left. In overtime, Ball fouled Tyler Herro on a three-point attempt with 11 seconds left, but bounced back with a go-ahead layup.

Still, Adebayo's absence allowed the Hornets to play a super-small lineup during their late comeback, playing Grant Williams at center and surrounding him with shooters. The Heat may have simply worn down, with four players playing over 40 minutes. Jaquez played 41 off the bench, and he was a step slow on Ball's final basket.

The Heat fought hard without Adebayo. But Ball was simply too much, whether he was shooting in the clutch or simply clutching an ankle.