LaMelo Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists as the Charlotte Hornets won their first postseason home game in a decade. His drive gave the team 4.6 seconds left, and Miles Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell’s attempt to give them the OT win. It kicked off a frenzied celebration as the mascot, Hugo, got hit with a two-piece.

The atmosphere in the Spectrum Center was already electric. After years of rebuilding and “next season” promises, the Play-In victory felt like a massive weight lifted off the shoulders of LaMelo Ball. But in the middle of the wild Play-In celebration, Hugo the Hornet, for a few seconds, forgot where he was. As Ball connected with a playful but surprisingly effective punch that sent the iconic mascot stumbling back.

He punched him in the head, then shoved him as fans on the internet began jokingly speculating that Hugo might need a concussion test. LaMelo’s playful but rough interaction left the mascot visibly stunned before he walked off. In fact, the Hornets guard was so full of energy that his next hug was to teammate Coby White, and they both almost lost their balance. However, this isn’t the first time Hugo or the Hornets’ staff have been the victim of LaMelo Ball’s high-strung reflexes.

It was captured in the best way during the now-legendary Halloween prank orchestrated by the Hornets’ social media team at their practice facility. In that infamous clip, the 24-year-old was casually walking through a quiet area before getting completely off his guard. Suddenly, a terrifying clown leaped out from behind a corner. Ball let out a genuine, high-pitched scream. Then the reflex punch clocked the prankster—much like Hugo on the court. Despite connecting with the man in the costume, LaMelo Ball ran up the flight of stairs in blind panic.

He would even run out of breath he collapsed while his teammates were laughing. It perfectly encapsulated Melo’s unpredictable personality. While the above events were made in jest, tonight against the Miami Heat, LaMelo Ball actually injured Bam Adebayo as his reflexes kicked in. The moment transpired in the second quarter and was a huge blow for the Heat fans as their captain did not return. They even called Melo a ‘dirty’ player for his actions. The Hornets guard tried to explain his stance.

LaMelo Ball apologized for his physical play

Even when the Hornets registered a mega win for their franchise, the conversation was centered around Ball’s action. The incident happened early in the second quarter. LaMelo Ball drove and missed a layup attempt, landing on the floor. As Adebayo tried to keep the ball alive, Ball’s hand swiped at his left foot/ankle, sending the Heat center crashing hard onto his tailbone. Bam eventually got up and limped to the locker room, and the impact of the injury was enough reason for him not to return.

While the fans already gave their opinion, LaMelo Ball stated that the contact was accidental because of a physical play that left him momentarily disoriented. “I apologize on that one. I got hit on the head, and didn’t really know where I was. But I’m going to check on him and see if he’s going to be okay,” Ball told the media after the game. The reporters grilled and asked multiple video references that point towards the Hornets guard intentionally hurting the Heat center.  Melo however, remained consistent in his defense.

“I haven’t even seen it. Like I said I got hit in the head, didn’t even know where I was, but just playing basketball. Like I said, sorry and I’mma check on him.” While LaMelo made his stance clear that it was incidental, the Miami coach was furious. “He should be penalized for that. I don’t think that belongs in the game, tripping guys. Somebody has got to see that. He should have been thrown out of the game for that.”

Since the play was never stopped, the officials never had the chance to review it. Now LaMelo Ball has to leave all this noise behind and wait to face the loser of Wednesday’s matchup between Philadelphia and Orlando.