An Orlando Magic fan attempted to use a savage tactic to get in rival star LaMelo Ball’s head during Friday night’s play-in game.
The Charlotte Hornets extended their playoff drought to a 10th year on Friday when they suffered a blowout 121-90 defeat to the Magic in the NBA’s play-in tournament.
However, even that dominant lead did not appear to be comfortable enough for one Orlando fan, who still tried his best to put the Hornets off their game.
Ball stepped up to the free throw line during the third quarter, with the Hornets already down 86-60.
As he took his shot, the Amazon Prime cameras picked up an Orlando fan sat in the front row behind the net.
The supporter was caught trying to distract the Hornets guard with a particularly brutal gesture.
LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets suffered a 121-90 defeat to the Orlando Magic
One Orlando fan was caught mining swerving a car to distract the Hornets guard
The fan was seen miming driving a car, pretending to swerve from side to side in a gesture aimed to needle Ball over his accident earlier this year.
However, the antics were unsuccessful as the All-Star made the free throw to claw back a point for Charlotte.
Ball crashed his camouflage, custom-made Hummer into another car driving through an intersection in downtown Charlotte in February.
WSOC-TV in Charlotte later posted video of Ball, wearing an aqua-colored Hornets hoodie, getting out of his truck and into another car before being driven away. Police were on the scene at the time of his departure.
However, Ball, who was unharmed in the wreck, denied that he fled the scene of the accident. He was also not cited for leaving the scene of a crash.
Ball, who the NBA said should have been ejected from Tuesday’s season-extending win over Miami for an uncalled flagrant foul against Bam Adebayo, led the Hornets with 23 points, 21 of them coming in the third quarter.
But the game was long decided at that point. Orlando raced out to a 27-10 lead, stretched it to 68-33 late in the first half, and the Hornets never even got within 20 points the rest of the way.
The Magic earned the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Their reward is a matchup with top-seeded Detroit, a best-of-seven that begins Sunday on the Pistons’ home floor.
Ball crashed his camouflage, custom-made Hummer into another car in Charlotte in February
The Magic were physical from the outset, and the Hornets were never in the game. Franz Wagner had 18 points for the Magic, along with seven rebounds and six assists.
Orlando led by 31 at halftime, the biggest midpoint lead in the play-in tournament’s six-year history. It has been utilized in this format – four teams qualifying from each conference, playing to decide the final two playoff spots on each half of the bracket – since 2021.
The Magic were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last two postseasons and have not won a playoff round since 2010. But they went 2-2 against the Pistons this season.
The Hornets, who beat the Magic in their last three regular-season games, have not been in the playoffs since 2016. It’s the longest active drought in the NBA.
