Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is fined $25,000 by the NBA for ditching the media after 128-102 Game 3 blowout win against the Celtics
- NBA TV teased that Butler would be coming to the podium but he didn’t appear
- Miami beat Boston 128-102 in Game 3 Sunday setting up a clean sweep chance
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Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler was fined $25,000 by the NBA for not speaking to the media following Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Butler has been the main star of the No. 8-seeded Heat’s unbelievable postseason run and delivered once again Sunday night as he led Miami to within one game of the NBA Championship series.
Miami beat Boston 128-102 in Game 3 on Sunday but, despite the win, Butler clearly wasn’t in the mood to talk to the media.
NBA TV, which has been televising the postgame press conferences, teased that Butler would be coming to the podium during its coverage, but the star forward never appeared.
Gabe Vincent, Bam Adebayo and Caleb Martin instead followed coach Erik Spoelstra and Butler was landed with the fine Tuesday.
Jimmy Butler was fined $25,000 by the NBA for not speaking to the media following Game 3
The Heat have a shot at a clean sweep Tuesday night as they head into Game 4 3-0 up over the Celtics.
Butler is averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in the three games against the Celtics. He averaged 22.9, 5.9 and 5.3, respectively during the regular season.
Butler had decided to add insult to injury Sunday by mocking Celtics center Al Horford’s celebration from the other night as they dominated Boston.

Butler added insult to injury Sunday mocked a celebration Al Horford made in Game 1

Horford had an off night – as did the rest of the Celtics with the team losing to Miami by 26
Back during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Horford drained a 3-point shot and then turned towards Miami’s team, took a knee, and put his hands together to make a ‘T’ shape as one would when calling timeout.
That came back to bite Horford – as not only did Boston go on to lose Game 1 123-116, but Miami’s Butler didn’t forget the gesture.
On Sunday night during Game 3 in Miami, with the Heat stepping on the necks of the Celtics, Butler replicated Horford’s gesture – staring him down the entire time.
Fan video captured the moment as Horford walked past Butler, saw his pose, and began jawing at the All-NBA second-teamer.
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