Following Saturday night's 110-109 overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat big man Hassan Whiteside was fined an undisclosed amount of money for going on an explative-filled rant. According to most reports, he was upset about his playing time (or the lack thereof). Now, with a bit of time to cool off, the former Marshall University standout says he regrets the way he handled the situation.
“I was just frustrated, man. I was frustrated that we lost. I really wanted to get that game,” Whiteside, the team’s highest-paid player, said as a Heat media relations staffer stood by his side Monday after practice inside AmericanAirlines Arena.
“I could have handled it different,” Whiteside continued. “But I got so caught up in wanting to get that win. I get real competitive. I really want to be out there. But I just trust coach’s decision.”
Whiteside logged 20 minutes in Saturday's loss, scoring 14 points on 5-10 shooting from the field, six rebounds, two blocks and one steal.
As most hoops fans know, the Heat — currently the No. 7 seed in the Easterns Conference standings with a 41-36 overall record — are fighting for playoff positioning. They'll have a shot at clinching a playoff berth with a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra tells the Miami Herald that he and Whiteside had a one-on-one discussion following the Saturday night outburst.
“We’ve already handled it within the team,” coach Spoelstra said. “Hassan has been fined. It’s poor timing, poor judgment on his part. It’s not the first time a player has gone through frustration right after a game. That’s why I've always said after the game guys should just take a shower, cool off, maybe do a little bit of media and then really have a better, coherent response to whatever happened during the course of the game the next day — all of us.
“But, we’re here to help Hassan,” coach Spoelstra continued. “He’s going to be just fine. We're going to help him continue to learn how to be a better professional, how to be a better leader in this locker room, how to be a better teammate and ultimately how to be a better winner. He’s been taking those steps. The team, we handled it before practice, it’s behind us now. The only thing that's on all of our minds right now is we’ve got to get the next win, you know, to secure this thing and then move on from there and see if we can still move forward in the standings.”
Whiteside, who dealt with a hip injury earlier this season, has made 49 appearances with the Heat during their 2017-18 campaign, averaging 14.1 points on 54.6 percent shooting from the field, 11.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 25.6 minutes.
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