Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat each were fined $15,000 Thursday for a gesture made by the forward and the ensuing posting of the video of the gesture during Tuesday night’s series-clinching playoff victory over the Atlanta Hawks at FTX Arena.
Amid a 17-2 Heat surge that closed the first half of that victory, Butler, who was inactive due to knee soreness, celebrated a 10-0 scoring run by teammate Max Strus with an over-the-top, sexually implicit reaction, drawing laughter from teammates.
Per the NBA:
“Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been fined $15,000 for making an obscene gesture, it was announced today by Byron Spruell, President, League Operations. The Heat organization has also been fined $15,000 for posting the act on social media.
“The incident, which took place from the team’s bench area, occurred with 1:43 remaining in the second quarter in the Heat’s 97-94 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on April 26 at FTX Arena.”
With that victory, the Heat advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, with that series to begin Monday at FTX Arena.
The NBA has been cracking down on profanity and profane language during the playoffs, including for expletives offered during postgame interviews.
Also during that Tuesday victory, forward Markieff Morris, who also did not see action, was called for a technical foul for grabbing Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter from the bench as play continued.
That also led to a Thursday sanction by the NBA, in Morris’ case a $25,000 fine.
Per the NBA:
“Miami Heat forward Markieff Morris has been fined $25,000 for interfering with live game play while on the bench, in violation of league rules, it was announced today by Byron Spruell, President, League Operations.
“Morris, who was not in the game at the time, grabbed and held Atlanta Hawks guard De’Andre Hunter out of bounds, which prevented Hunter from completely reestablishing himself inbounds as he caught a pass from a teammate. Morris received an unsportsmanlike technical foul for his actions. The incident occurred with 7:06 remaining in the third quarter in Miami’s 97-94 win over the Hawks in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on April 26 at FTX Arena.”
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