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Did the Miami Heat Play Dirty Against Trae Young?

Playoff basketball or foul play?

Pat Benson

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

During yesterday's lopsided loss in Miami, it became clear that the Miami Heat were trying to bully Trae Young. I tweeted a thread of videos that was comparable to the "Jordan Rules" of the late 1980s and early 1990s. So was it foul play or just playoff basketball? You watch the videos below and be the judge.

Jimmy Butler

Less than four minutes into the game and the fireworks had already begun. Trae Young committed a take-foul to stop Jimmy Butler from scoring on the fastbreak. Butler then grabbed Young around the neck and eventually yanked the undersized point guard around by his jersey.

Naturally, 'Ice Trae' didn't back down. Yet surprisingly, the officials called a double-technical on Butler and Young. This is a call I anticipate being rescinded by the league office soon.

Tyler Herro

When trying to stop a player from converting an and-one layup, you wrap them up around their body. Instead, Tyler Herro swiped downwards at Young's face. Of course, Young converted the old-fashioned three-point play anyway.

Kyle Lowry

In this play, Young gets fouled and loses the ball. After the play is whistled dead, Kyle Lowry dives for the ball and undercuts an already off-balance Young. Several of the NBA's biggest stars have missed time this season due to lower-body injuries. Lowry's dive was dangerous, plain and simple.

Kyle Lowry (Again)

If the last play by Lowry was questionable, this 'move' is indefensible. The veteran point guard should know better than to jab an opponent in the face. Moreso, the officials should have called that as a flagrant foul.

Context is always important. This Heat roster has a history of antics on and off the court. Back in early November, a shoving match between Markief Morris and Nikola Jokic almost led to something far worse on the court. Then after the game, several Heat players showed up outside the Nuggets locker room in hopes of finding more drama (or a photographer). 

On the other hand, the Hawks point guard is no favorite of NBA officials. After the league legislated out part of Young's game that sent him to the foul line, the officials were heavy-handed in their enforcement at the beginning of the season.

Young obviously adapted just fine. He averaged career-highs in ten different statistical categories and became the second player in NBA history to lead the league in total points and assists. But still, Young came just one technical foul away from serving a one-game suspension.

Also, let's not forget the time a referee allegedly mimed a crying motion at Young. It doesn't take a detective to piece the evidence together in this situation. Let's just hope the NBA cleans the situation up before someone gets hurt.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the Atlanta Hawks for Sports Illustrated's All Hawks. He has covered the NBA for several years and is the author of "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)".

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