The Miami Heat suffered a tough loss to the Utah Jazz, falling 136-100 in the first game without Jimmy Butler, who was suspended for seven games due to “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team.” Following the loss, Tyler Herro shared his thoughts on the turmoil surrounding the team and how they are moving forward.
Herro finished the night with 15 points on 4-of-12 shooting, including a rough 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Bam Adebayo had a frustrating performance, scoring just four points while missing all six of his field goal attempts.
While the team’s poor performance could be attributed to the distractions caused by the conflict with Butler, Herro emphasized that the focus needs to be on the future and not the past.
“We’re trying to put all that stuff past us,” Herro said in a post-game conference, per ClutchPoints. “I really worry about the guys in the locker room and guys that are going out there on the court every single night. So just trying to bring a collective spirit, you know, that can really rally around each other to help win these games at this point in the season”.
Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat drives ahead of Kyle Filipowski #22 of the Utah Jazz during the first half at Kaseya Center. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
“Tonight, obviously, wasn’t how we imagined it and pictured it, but you try to put this one past you, this six-game road trip that we’re going on that won’t be any easier than tonight,” he continued. “So trying to put this past this one and get ready for the next one on Monday”.
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Spoelstra refuses to use Butler’s situation as an excuse
Head coach Erik Spoelstra was also quick to dismiss any notion that the Butler issue should be used as an excuse for the loss. “No, I don’t think we make any excuses for this,” Spoelstra said. “We just took it on the chin, and we have to get to work. We have a long flight tomorrow, it will be valuable time for the staff to try to get to work”.
“I just want the guys to rest up and get our collective minds ready for a great opportunity on this road trip”. The Heat will face a grueling six-game stretch on the road against the Kings, Warriors, Jazz, Blazers, Clippers, and finish up in Los Angeles against the Lakers.
Adebayo weighs in on Butler’s situation
Heat captain Bam Adebayo also shared his perspective, acknowledging that the public feud between the organization and Butler is disappointing. However, he emphasized that his primary focus is leading the team both on and off the court.
“It’s disappointing when you see the organization and a player going head-to-head like that,” Adebayo said, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “But the rest of us have to figure out how to win games. For me as captain, it’s about worrying about the other guys, getting them locked in, and ready to compete”.