Few things have been able to deter the Miami Heat this season. For the most part, they’ve sat in first place in the Eastern Conference since the opening tip. From Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo to Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro, their roster is of an All-Star quality from top to bottom. The Heat’s coach, Erik Spoelstra, has become one of the NBA’s top whiteboard-drawers, as he may earn his first Coach of the Year Award.
It’s seemingly truly nothing but sunshine and good basketball in South Florida.
With all of this peace and harmony in mind, it’s hard to imagine that Wednesday night against the Steph Curry-less Warriors (+3 underdogs) could have gone worse. First, Golden State went into Miami and humiliated the East’s best team on their floor, 118-104. Then, they pushed the Heat to spill over some boiled-up tension.
Between who, you might ask? Why none other than Butler, Spoelstra, and long-time Heat veteran Udonis Haslem.
Jimmy Butler was HEATED in the Miami huddle after the Warriors went on a big run to start the second half pic.twitter.com/6waBmHlL1r
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 24, 2022
Ouch, that’s not a great look for a team currently riding high. I’m not sure what Butler, Spoelstra, and Haslem said to each other, but it can’t have been all that friendly. It’s also worth noting that the argument between the trio happened after a 13-0 Warriors run to start the second half. For a team as battle-tested as Miami, one opponent’s second-half run shouldn’t lead to this much on-court internal fireworks.
Whatever the case may be, the Heat and their leadership core better get it together soon. The current No. 8 seed Nets — and Miami’s likely first-round playoff opponent — come to town on Saturday. The last thing Butler and Co. want is another lapse in focus that leads to them jawing with each other.
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