MIAMI ? Heat coach Erik Spoelstra won the series but lost in the pocketbook when it came to his war of words with Pacers coach Frank Vogel regarding how the teams? games had been officiated this season.
The NBA announced Friday that Spoelstra has been fined $25,000, "for critical public comments about how the Miami/Indiana playoff series was being officiated."
The fine was announced in a statement from Stu Jackson, the NBA?s executive vice president of basketball operations.
Hours after Spoelstra made his comments Thursday morning at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Heat closed out their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series in six games, with a 105-93 victory on the Pacers? court.
At the start of the series, the Pacers? Vogel questioned the Heat?s ability to get away with "flopping" when drawing undeserved offensive fouls on opposing players. Those comments results in a $15,000 NBA sanction for Vogel.
Although the NBA did not specify the reason for Spoelstra?s fine, the timing made it clear that it was the result of his Thursday comments, when he cited multiple shots to the heads of Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade that had gone uncalled in the teams? playoff series as well as the teams? four regular-season meetings.
Vogel denied Spoelstra?s headhunting accusation shortly after Spoelstra made his Thursday comments.
Prior to the Heat?s Thursday shootaround, Spoelstra said, "The league does not have a problem with hard fouls on our two main guys. In nine games now, there?s been over a dozen hard fouls to the face, some of the tomahawk variety.
"Some of them have drawn blood. They don?t have a problem with it, so we don?t have a problem with it. Our guys will continue to attack. They?ll play their game and we?ll focus on what we can control."
Spoelstra?s comments came in the wake of the NBA?s suspensions of Heat forward Udonis Haslem and Heat center Dexter Pittman for flagrant fouls in the Heat?s Tuesday Game 5 victory over the Pacers. Indiana forward Tyler Hansbrough was cited for a hard foul against Wade in that game but not suspended.
Haslem served his one-game suspension Thursday, eligible to return for Monday?s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. He was presented with a game ball on the Heat?s team flight back to South Florida, barred from being in the arena during Game 6.
Pittman was suspended for three games, ineligible to return until Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.
While Tuesday?s Game 5 was contentious, Thursday?s Game 6 was relatively tame, with no flagrant fouls called and just a pair of technical fouls issued, one each to Indiana?s David West and Paul George.
Neither Spoelstra nor Vogel addressed officiating in their postgame comments Thursday.
The Heat did not practice Friday, with Spoelstra unavailable for comment.
Rest, recovery
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