Heat star Bam Adebayo didn’t have a problem with the team getting fined $25k for having poor bench decorum in Game 6, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel writes. While this shouldn’t come as a surprise, Adebayo did have a positive way of looking at it, explaining why the fine didn’t bother him.
“At the end of the day, it just shows how much support your teammates have for you, to the point we get fined,” Adebayo said.
The Heat aren’t the only team to be fined for violating bench decorum rules this postseason, as the Mavericks were fined a total of $175k for the same issue. According to the NBA, several Heat players stood for an extended period in the team bench area. They were on, encroached upon or entered the court during live game action.
Here are some other Eastern Conference notes:
- The Heat remain concerned about Tyler Herro‘s injury in the short-term, Ira Winderman writes in a separate story for the Sun-Sentinel. Herro suffered a groin strain earlier in the team’s series against Boston. He was the club’s second-leading scorer at 20.7 points per game this season and won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, so his absence has naturally been felt. “It’s a sensitive injury, so got to take his time,” Adebayo said of Herro.
- Steve Popper of Newsday explores whether someone would rather be the Knicks or the Nets today. Earlier this season, New York was coming off a successful campaign with a young core, but their year became rife with injuries and chemistry issues. The Nets had a championship roster on hand, but Kyrie Irving‘s part-time availability, James Harden‘s trade request and Joe Harris‘ season-ending injuries harmed their hopes.
- Brian Lewis of the New York Post examines why the Nets’ lack of length is no longer an issue they can live with by simply scoring more. Brooklyn was often overmatched in its first-round series against Boston, playing two or three point guards at a time against the Celtics’ bigger lineup. The team simply lacked wing depth, something that Harris and Ben Simmons can help address when they play next season.
