Kyle and P.J. Tucker explain what happened during the argument between Jimmy and Udonis Haslem. 1:45.
Jimmy butler and Udonis Haslem were yelling at each other, some Miami players were trying to play peacemaker, and the Heat coach slammed a clipboard to the floor in frustration.
That was not the low point of the evening for the Heat.
The Heat fell 118-104 to the Golden State Warriors, their second straight loss, and their grip on the top spot in the Eastern Conference is tenuous at best.
Golden State started the third quarter on a 19-0 run and tempers flared on the Miami bench. During a timeout, the Warriors had things to say to each other. Both Haslem and Butler needed to be held back by their teammates.
It took Miami about 35 minutes to get out of the locker room, which was three times as long as usual.
The incident was attributed to players who are frustrated with losing. The Heat's lead in the Eastern Conference race has been cut in half by Wednesday's loss.
The guys really want to win basketball games, and they have guys that work extremely hard. Sometimes the fire and emotions come out. It is nothing to us. We had a conversation and continue to build.
The sideline confrontations won't affect the team down the line, says Spoelstra.
We want to play better, but we have bigger things to accomplish. Everything is on the board. Our veteran players have to lead and then we have to play better. We need to play more consistently, and that was all the discussions were. I know how it can look on the outside, but it's more about our language than it is about playing without passion or being tough.
During the season, you can use moments to catapult yourself. You can come together over disappointment and frustration. Teams can go in a different direction. I do not see that with our group. I don't see that in our locker room. We need a kick in the butt.
The New York Knicks will be the opponent for the Heat on Friday.
The report was contributed to by the Associated Press.
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