Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Monday he did not exert sideline influence in an attempt to have Indiana Pacers forward Paul George ejected from Saturday's game at AmericanAirlines Arena.
In the wake of being ejected early in the third quarter of the Pacers' loss, George said in the Indiana locker room after the game that referee Gary Zielinski called a technical foul on him because, "He was a puppet with Spoelstra in his ear and he called it."
The technical foul was the second of the game on George, which mandated the ejection.
George acknowledged uttering a profanity prior to the ejection, one that was offered within earshot of the Heat bench.
Spoelstra said Monday, after the Heat completed preparation for their game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center, that he neither called for a technical foul on George nor the ejection.
"No, I think those are just the emotions of the game," he said of turning toward Zielinski. "I just looked at him, because we all heard. So I just looked at him. I actually didn't say anything after. I just looked at him."
The glance was noted by George.
Spoelstra said he does not argue for technical fouls because he does not want his players utilizing such approaches, either.
"In fact," he said, "I tend to lean the other way, get our guys to stop using the officials as a crutch and get our guys to concentrate more consistently on the game.
"It's a very emotional game. It's an almost-impossible game to officiate. We all get frustrated. But I think one of the goals of developing some mental toughness is staying away from it."
Spoelstra said it was difficult not to react, with George offering the profanity directly in front of the Heat bench, within earshot of more than just Zielinski.
"I think that was more of an isolated incident," he said of offering a reaction of his own.
