MIAMI -- The NBA fined Miami's Jimmy Butler $15,000 for making what it described as an obscene gesture during the team's series-clinching win on Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Heat were also fined $15,000 for turning a video of the gesture into a social media post. The league announced both fines Thursday.
Butler did not play in Tuesday's 97-94 victory, watching the game from the bench because of knee soreness. He made the gesture a few seconds after Max Strus connected on a second consecutive 3-pointer, part of a 10-0 run by Strus and a 17-0 run by the Heat that put them ahead in the game for good.
The social media post has since been deleted from the team account.
Markieff Morris was also fined $25,000 for interfering with live game play while on the bench, as he grabbed and held Atlanta Hawks guard De’Andre Hunter out of bounds, which prevented Hunter being inbounds to catch a pass. Morris received an unsportsmanlike technical foul during the game for the action.
It is Butler's third known fine this season, totalling $70,000. He was fined $30,000 for his involvement in an incident during a Denver-Miami game in November and $25,000 for violating league rules governing media interview access at the All-Star Game in February.
Miami next plays Monday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.