LaMelo Ball gave the Charlotte Hornets a season-saving performance on one of the wildest nights of the play-in, and Lonzo Ball had the perfect reaction waiting on the other side. After Charlotte outlasted the Miami Heat 127-126 in overtime, Lonzo jumped on X and wrote, “Que the pat bev celly 🤣😭.” That line instantly connected LaMelo’s moment to one of the most memorable celebrations in recent play-in history.
Patrick Beverley’s emotional outburst after the Timberwolves beat the Clippers in 2022 still lives in NBA internet history. He screamed, stood on the scorer’s table, and let the moment wash over him after Minnesota punched its playoff ticket. Lonzo clearly saw something similar in his younger brother’s latest performance. Charlotte still has work left to do, but LaMelo’s late-game heroics made the comparison feel earned.
This one had everything. Momentum swings. Big shots. Controversial moments. A frantic overtime. By the end, LaMelo stood in the middle of it all, making the basket that gave Charlotte the lead for good and helping keep the Hornets alive for at least one more game, At The Hive reports.
LaMelo Ball Sets the Tone Early Against the Heat
The game opened with serious energy inside the Hive, and LaMelo wasted no time taking control. He scored nine of Charlotte’s first 12 points and pushed the pace from the opening tip. The Hornets found a rhythm early, but Miami kept answering, turning the first half into a constant exchange of runs and counters.
A major second-quarter sequence changed the feel of the game. LaMelo drove past Simone Fontecchio, got knocked off balance, and Bam Adebayo went down hard during the play. Adebayo needed help getting off the floor and did not return. Even with that shift, Miami kept firing back, and Charlotte never got much breathing room.
Miles Bridges gave the Hornets a needed scoring lift with 15 first-half points, while LaMelo added 17 before the break, including a deep step-back three from near midcourt. Charlotte still went into halftime down two, a reminder that even with the star guard rolling, this game was not going to come easy.
The third quarter followed the same script. LaMelo stayed aggressive inside the arc, Brandon Miller found his touch after a quiet first half, and Coby White helped flip momentum with a scoring burst that sent Charlotte into the fourth with a six-point lead. It looked like the Hornets had grabbed control. Then the game swerved again.
Hornets Survive Late Chaos as Lonzo Ball Weighs In
Charlotte’s recent fourth-quarter issues showed up at the worst time. The Hornets missed a string of threes, let Miami storm back, and suddenly found themselves hanging on. Bridges helped stop the slide, and Miller hit a huge late three, but the Heat kept landing punches. White then answered with a tough game-tying three in the closing seconds of regulation, extending the night and giving Charlotte another chance.
Overtime felt just as chaotic. Miller opened with a big three, then finished an alley-oop from LaMelo. Bridges attacked the rim. LaMelo answered a Davion Mitchell bucket with a crafty layup. Then the game twisted again when Tyler Herro drew a late foul on a three-point attempt and made all three free throws to put Miami up one.
That set the stage for LaMelo’s biggest moment.
With the Hornets trailing and only seconds left, Charlotte got the ball to LaMelo. He drove past Jaime Jaquez and finished the go-ahead layup with five seconds remaining. Miami tried to race the other way without a timeout, but Bridges rose up and pinned the potential winner on the backboard to seal the one-point victory.
It was the kind of finish that demands a reaction, and Lonzo delivered one that NBA fans instantly understood. The Hornets are still only halfway there. They now face the loser of the Magic and 76ers game with the No. 8 seed on the line. But for one night, LaMelo authored an instant classic, and his brother’s hilarious nod to Beverley only added to the moment.
LaMelo Ball Lifts Hornets Past Heat, Draws Hilarious Lonzo Ball Reaction