While another close loss for Miami added to a frustrating Friday night, there was also controversy with the final play of the game where Spoelstra felt Adebayo was fouled on a three-point attempt that could’ve decided the game.
Adebayo would try to speak with referee Kevin Cutler after the game ended, which that interaction was highlighted by the league, but Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints that he believes that his player was not “out of control.”
“What can we do? Can we appeal? You know, I don’t know, I don’t think he was out of control,” Spoelstra said before Saturday’s game against the Chicago Bulls. “Bam has a great reputation, very respectful. He was trying to get Kevin’s attention. I think he was just saying, like, trying to make his case.”
“I think Kevin [Cutler] kind of ignited it when he went like this,” Spoelstra continued as he made a motion mimicking what he saw Cutler make. “You know, that was unnecessary. Bam was not being aggressive, that was more of an aggressive response to Bam trying to have a discussion. But look, you’re not winning that with the league. So we have to move on. We had opportunities to win the game. We didn’t. We’re frustrated about some things, but that’s irrelevant at this point.”
The reason behind the $50,000 fine to Heat’s Bam Adebayo
While even the Heat head coach in Spoelstra pleaded for the foul after the game, the moment is now in the rearview mirror for the team, though Adebayo will have to suffer the consequences. Specifically, Adebayo was cited by the league “for making inappropriate contact with and directing profane language” towards Cutler.
“Miami Heat center-forward Bam Adebayo has been fined $50,000 for making inappropriate contact with and directing profane language toward a game official, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations,” the statement from the league read. “The incident occurred after the end of the fourth quarter of Miami’s 106-104 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 7 at the Kaseya Center.”
As the Heat’s captain in Adebayo has been achieving franchise records, he also has a reputation around the league for being respectful and not confrontational. He would echo the same sentiments after the game while also in some ways predicting his punishment after the loss to Minnesota on Friday night.
“I’m pretty cool with all the referees,” Adebayo said. “That’s the thing. Like I said, I’m not confrontational, but I am emotional when I’m out there, because we’re fighting to get wins. Everybody does it. I’ve seen dudes really say some crazy stuff to referees and they don’t tech them up. So you know, I had the decency enough to wait after the game to have my conversation, because it’s like, I want to have a conversation with you.”
“That’s what you’re supposed to do as a man, face to face,” Adebayo continued. “But when you’re walking away and stuff like that, it’s just truly disrespectful. And I feel like you know stuff should happen when they do that, because when we get emotional and we walk away, we get tech’d up and we get fined, and I think that’s crazy.”
At any rate, Adebayo and Miami look to make a playoff push as the team is 29-33 which puts them seventh in the Eastern Conference before the game against Chicago on Saturday night.