NEW YORK _ Jimmy Butler said at Friday morning's Miami Heat shootaround that he was only looking ahead as he dismissed questions about his Wednesday night tussle with Indiana Pacers forward T.J. Warren.
The NBA, however, still was looking back, fining Butler $35,000 and Warren $25,000 for the incident that left Warren ejected and had Butler taking to social media to note the next time the two would meet.
The league also announced that a Butler foul on Warren has been retroactively upgraded to a Flagrant 1 foul.
In a statement released by the NBA in advance of the Heat's Friday night game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center, the league announced, "Butler has been fined $35,000 for engaging in an altercation and escalating the incident on social media postgame."
As for Warren, the league announced, "Warren has been fined $25,000 for engaging in an altercation and making an obscene gesture following his ejection."
The ruling was issued by Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations.
The league generally makes such announcements in advance of a team's ensuing game.
The NBA's accounting of the incident from the Heat's victory at Bankers Life Fieldhouse:
"With 6:29 remaining in the third quarter, Butler and Warren each received technical fouls for having come face-to-face in a hostile manner. With 6:22 remaining in the third quarter, Butler committed an offensive foul against Warren, which has been upgraded to a Flagrant Foul 1 upon league office review.
"The foul call on Butler prompted a taunt from Warren, which resulted in his second technical foul and subsequent ejection. Following his ejection, Warren made an obscene gesture. After the game, Butler continued to escalate the incident via social media."
The league, in issuing the fines, did not address Butler's profanity-laced postgame comments about Warren, when he said:
"I mean, to me, I think it's tough for him, because I can guard him and he can't guard me. Because at the end of the day that's what it come down to. But like I've said, I think you just got to watch your mouth in certain situations. There's some s--- that you just don't say as a man.
"He got to see me the next time. Because I felt like what he said was truly disrespectful. And it's all good, because we see him again."
