Getty HOUSTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 15: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat speaks with the referee.
It was a controversial ending in South Beach as the Miami Heat fell to the Brooklyn Nets 102-101 on January 8. A tightly contested matchup, highlighted by a gritty performance from Miami, left fans frustrated with the officials. Heat star Jimmy Butler drove into contact on the final possession and missed a game-winning attempt in the paint. The referees swallowed the whistle as Butler slammed into the contesting Royce O’Neal.
The Heat come up short after Jimmy Butler draws contact as time expires; no foul was called.
Heat fans weren’t the only ones upset by the no-call. Head Coach Erik Spoelstra fired off some criticism towards the officials after the game.
“I thought Jimmy just made the absolute right play. I think in this game alone he could’ve six to eight more free throw attempts…I don’t think he (O’Neale) was vertical. I don’t think he was set,” Spoelstra said. “That earned the right to go to the free throw line and see if he could’ve won the game.”
On January 9 the NBA broke the silence surrounding the controversial ending to Miami’s loss, releasing the official “Last Two Minute Report” from the game.
According to the report, the referees were correct to not blow the whistle during the final sequence.
“O’Neale jumps verticality and absorbs the oncoming contact from Butler on his driving shot attempt,” the league wrote.
The media asked Butler about his attempted game-winner. He took the diplomatic approach and put the responsibility on himself, rather than the officials.
“Nah, I should’ve made it,” Butler explained. “I think we definitely got the look that we wanted, I just gotta make that.”
However, the league did point out one mistake from the officials during the closing minutes. The reported said that the crew missed a travel on Nets guard Kyrie Irving with 15 seconds to play. Had the correct call been made, then Miami would’ve gotten the ball back with a one-point lead.
Heat’s Tyler Herro Avoids Injury in Scary Slip
The controversy over the no-call was only half the story surrounding Miami’s final possession. Off the ball, Heat guard Tyler Herro appeared to hurt himself during the sequence. He slipped near half court and grabbed his knee while laying on the hardwood.
That should have been a foul call. And to add injury to insult Tyler Herro went down holding his knee.
Thankfully, Herro felt fine after the game and cleared the air about any sort of injury.
“I had slipped, the floor was wet… and I unexpectedly fell,” the 22-year-old explained. “I’m good, I’m good.”
Spoelstra echoed Herro’s message, saying that the guard seemed like he’d be fine, but needed to undergo testing the following day.
Losing Herro would’ve been a tough blow for the middling Miami squad to handle. They’ve already dealt with their fair share of injuries this season. Butler, Gabe Vincent, and Victor Oladipo have all been sidelined for at least 10 games due to various physical problems.
Heat Make Big Change with Orlando Robinson
One positive from the Heat’s loss against Brooklyn was the play of rookie-center Orlando Robinson. He finished as a game-high +24, scoring 6 points and securing 9 rebounds against the Nets. Spoelstra elected to give the rookie some run instead of veteran big man Dewayne Dedmon, who has averaged about 12 minutes per game this season.
The Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman explained how the change in the rotation could be a benefit to the Heat in their pursuit of a playoff spot.
“The Heat have not been good with Dedmon this season and were quite good with Robinson in this one. That matters because (Bam) Adebayo deserves a break, which Robinson provided Sunday,” he continued.
Robinson’s rookie campaign has been a solid one. The seven-footer has played an average of 14.7 minutes in 13 games for Miami this season. He’s averaging 5.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in each outing.