MIAMI — The Miami Heat confirmed Thursday to the Sun Sentinel that it was the team’s decision, and not the decision of broadcast-rights holder Bally Sports Sun, to elect not to show the third-quarter altercation on the team’s bench during Wednesday night’s loss to the Golden State Warriors at FTX Arena.
Lorrie-Ann Diaz, the Heat’s vice president of business communication & social responsibility, said the call, “was ours and it’s consistent with our past practice.”
Diaz declined to discuss the specific reasoning.
During the incident, forward Jimmy Butler and captain Udonis Haslem had to be restrained by teammates, with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra getting into a heated verbal confrontation with Butler.
While the Bally Sports Sun broadcast made only passing reference to the incident, the NBCSports affiliate handing the Warriors broadcast posted a full video of the confrontations.
“The past practice is just not to air those types of things,” Diaz said. “But it’s ours. That was our decision, not Bally’s.”
The Heat then showed postgame interviews with Spoelstra, point guard Kyle Lowry, forward P.J. Tucker and center Bam Adebayo, with all four addressing the incident. The Heat also did not air video of the incident during those interviews.
A party familiar with the team’s approach acknowledged to the Sun Sentinel that in light of videos of the episode being widely posted across social media, the Heat likely would adjust their broadcast practices going forward.
Such a step could prove particularly beneficial during the playoffs, when Bally Sports will broadcast Heat games simultaneously with national broadcasts on TNT and ESPN, with the national outlets surely to feature such moments. Only playoff broadcasts on ABC are limited to being exclusively shown on national television.
Injury report
Victor Oladipo has returned to the Heat’s injury report, with the guard listed as out for Friday night’s game against the visiting New York Knicks due to “right knee; injury recovery.”
The game opens a back-to-back set that concludes Saturday night against the visiting Brooklyn Nets, with Oladipo yet to play in back-to-back games since his return.
It will be the fourth game Oladipo will miss over a six-game span, after his first three games back from May quadriceps surgery.
Also out again will be guard Gabe Vincent, to miss his third consecutive game due to a toe contusion, as well as Javonte Smart and Kyle Guy, who remain on G League assignment.
Listed as questionable are Butler (ankle), Tyler Herro (knee), Caleb Martin (knee), Duncan Robinson (Achilles) and P.J. Tucker (knee)
The Knicks are listing Julius Randle (quad) and Mitchell Robinson (back) as questionable for Friday night’s game at FTX Arena. Out for New York are Nerlens Noel (foot), Cam Reddish (shoulder), Derrick Rose (ankle), Kemba Walker (not with team) and Feron Hunt (G League).
The big time
The 19:55 played by Oladipo in Wednesday night’s loss was the longest stint in his five appearances, eclipsing the 17:35 he played in the March 11 home victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Well that shows you his conditioning level,” Spoelstra said. “He was able to handle all those moments and he had some really good bursts there.”
Oladipo was back after missing the previous two games due to back spasms, with playing time available with Herro sitting out due to knee pain.
“He had some good defensive moments,” Spoelstra said of Oladipo, who closed 3 of 11 from the field for seven points, with two rebounds and no assists. “With Tyler being out, he was handed a few more of those minutes.”
The long haul
A unique element of Wednesday’s loss, beyond the bench brouhaha, was the starting lineup playing the entire third quarter together, a period when the Heat were victimized by a 19-0 run and then got back within one point going into the fourth.
“We haven’t played a lot together,” Tucker said of the grouping of himself, Butler, Adebayo, Lowry and Robinson, “so I mean that’s pretty cool that we finally got some minutes out there, just straight playing and trying to figure it out.”
Lowry’s ledger
With his six 3-pointers Wednesday night, Lowry moved past JJ Redick and into 15th place on the NBA all-time list. The 22nd of Lowry’s 26 points gave him 15,000 for his career.
Lowry has now made six 3-pointers in consecutive games for the third time in his career and first time since 2018 with the Toronto Raptors.
Over his last three games, Lowry is averaging 20.7 points and shooting 16 of 27 on 3-pointers.
