Things went south in South Beach for the Heat on Wednesday. In more ways than one.
Miami didn’t just lose to a Warriors team without Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Otto Porter Jr., they had a complete implosion on their bench during a 19-0 Golden State run in the third quarter.
It’s unclear what sparked by the verbal altercation, but it appeared that Jimmy Butler must have said something that set both Udonis Haslem and head coach Eric Spolestra off. While Butler was sitting on the bench, Spolestra could be seen saying “What? You think I’m going to fucking fight you?” Right after, an incensed Haslem told Butler repeatedly that he would “beat his ass.”
Eventually teammates got in between all three parties, but Spolestra wasn’t done giving Butler a piece of his mind. The coach threw his folder onto the court as he exchanged words with the star player, at one point saying “Are you fucking crazy?”
Maybe the blow up helped initially. The Heat closed the quarter on a 30-12 run and cut Golden State’s 19-point lead to one.
Ultimately it wasn’t enough, and now the Heat have to smooth over things in their locker room in addition to addressing the issues on the court.
Spolestra chalked the incident up to frustration related to the Heat’s recent performances when he spoke postgame.
