The Miami Heat continued their dominant run tonight with a convincing win over the Detroit Pistons. Jimmy Butler and Co. have lost only one game since the All-Star break and improved to a 35-26 record. Although, there was a concerning moment during tonight’s game that could have cost Miami their win. 20-year-old Forward Nikola Jovic got ejected from the game after receiving his second technical foul for yelling at the official.
Jovic lost his cool after he got called for a foul on a rebound during the third quarter. The forward was upset with the call and instinctively yelled at the official in frustration. He was immediately penalized with a technical foul and got booted from the game. Jovic played only 21 minutes and finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. After the game, $163 million rich Heat star Bam Adebayo addressed Jovic’s ejection with a hilarious statement. “He’s losing money every day.”
Bam on Jovic: “He’s losing money every day.”
Here’s the rest of what he said pic.twitter.com/Dokvj6kjDy
— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) March 6, 2024
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Adebayo was possibly referring to last month’s incident when Jovic got suspended by the NBA for leaving the bench area during an altercation between the Heat and the Pelicans. On February 23, Jimmy Butler and Co. got into a physical altercation with the Pelicans squad after Kevin Love intentionally fouled Zion Williamson. The altercation escalated quickly and led to multiple ejections.
After assessment, the NBA suspended players from both teams, including Jimmy Butler, Thomas Bryant, and Nikola Jovic. Even though Jovic was not playing when the altercation started, he found himself paying a hefty fine.
The Miami Heat held their own without Nikola Jovic
Despite Nikola Jovic getting ejected in the third quarter, Miami held their own and came out with a win. The Heat pulled off another great team performance. Jimmy Butler led the charge, going off for 26 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds. Apart from Butler, five other Heat players finished the game with a double-digit score. That has been the key to Miami’s success all season. They are not reliant on just one superstar, and any player can step up on any given night. That is also what happened when Butler, Jovic, and Bryant got suspended last month.
Read More: Spurs Dynasty’s Prodigy Joins Jimmy Butler and Co to Relive Championship Glory
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Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. led Miami to a blowout victory against the Sacramento Kings as Jimmy Butler sat out and threw a suspended players’ watch party.
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Miami hopes to return to the NBA finals this year and finally get the job done by lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy. Jacquez and Jovic have proved to be solid young stars for the Heat and could play a major role in their Championship goals. However, Nikola Jovic needs to be more cautious and stay away from unnecessary trouble on the floor to remain productive.