NBA players have been known to occasionally pad their stats during garbage time, allowing them to make their numbers look more robust in the box score. That occasionally includes a shameless and easy move, which is what happened during the Atlanta Hawks-Miami Heat game on Friday.
As the clock wound down of the Heat’s 122–113 victory over the visiting Hawks, Miami center Bam Adebayo had the responsibility to dribble out the clock on the final possession. But when Adebayo crossed midcourt, he just let the ball go with two seconds left, and Atlanta power forward Onyeka Okongwu casually grabbed the ball before the clock hit zero.
Okongwu’s move officially counted as a steal. In the process, he also gave Adebayo a turnover, his sixth of the game.
