Another busy day in the Association on Monday, and it began with the league announcing a big fine and a missed call.
Here are Monday’s notables:
Lamelo Ball Gets Hefty Fine
The NBA slapped Charlotte Hornets guard Lamelo Ball with a $100,000 fine on Monday for making an “offensive and derogatory” remark in his live postgame interview after the Hornets’ 115-114 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
“We loaded up. No homo,” said Ball as he described the Hornets’ final defensive stand on the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo to secure the win.
Later in the day, Ball was apologetic for his remark and clarified he meant no ill will to anyone.
“Before we get started, I just want to address the comment yesterday,” Ball told reporters after the Hornets’ loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. “I really didn’t mean anything [by it] and don’t want to offend anybody. I’ve got love for everybody, and I don’t discriminate.”
Ball, who is in his fifth season in the NBA, is averaging 29.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds.
Jayson Tatum Gets Called for Traveling…a Day After the Fact
The NBA also admitted on Monday that Jayson Tatum’s buzzer-beating game-winning trey in the Boston Celtics’ 126-123 OT win against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday came after the star forward traveled.
As per the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report, which the league releases for games within three points in the last two minutes, Tatum moved his pivot foot in the Celtics’ final possession with 3.4 seconds left in OT. As such, he should have been called for traveling, with the succeeding triple waved off as a result.
Despite the admission, Tatum’s game-winner stands, as does the Celtics’ thrilling win—probably to the dismay of Raptors fans.
Mavs Finally Win in the Clutch
The Dallas Mavericks, sans star guard Luka Doncic, finally won a close game on Monday, holding off the Oklahoma City Thunder, 121-119, at Paycom Center.
PJ Washington, who missed five games early in the season due to a right knee injury, paced the Mavs with 27 and a career-high 17 boards, while Kyrie Irving added 23 markers and 6 dimes. Five other players finished in double digits for the Mavs, who are now 2-6 in games decided by three points or less and 7-7 overall.
The Thunder dropped to 11-3 and are now just second in the Western Conference.
Cavs Extend Franchise-Best Start
Out in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers extended their franchise-best start to 15 with a 128-114 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at RocketMortgage FieldHouse.
The Cavs’ quartet of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Ty Jerome—who started in place of the sidelined Donovan Mitchell—led the Cleveland surge, as each scored over 20 points in a dominant showing from the Cavs’ starting five.
With 15 straight wins to start the 2024–25 NBA Season, the Cavs are now tied with the 1948–49 Washington Capitols and the 1993–94 Houston Rockets for second-best start all-time. The 2015–16 Warriors have the all-time mark at 24 consecutive wins.
Cleveland goes for win no. 16 on Thursday when they visit the Boston Celtics.
