Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler is eagerly anticipating the upcoming game against the New Orleans Pelicans, especially after his ejection from their last matchup on February 24. During that game, Butler, along with Nikola Jovic, Thomas Bryant, Naji Marshall, and Jose Alvarado, was ejected following a scuffle that erupted in the fourth period.
The altercation began when Kevin Love fouled Zion Williamson, leading to a confrontation between Marshall and Butler. The situation escalated as staff and teammates from both teams intervened. Meanwhile, Bryant and Alvarado were involved in a separate altercation at the scorer’s table, resulting in their ejections by security.
Despite the ejections, the Miami Heat emerged victorious with a score of 106-95 at the Smoothie King Center. After the game, Butler took a jab at New Orleans in a postgame interview, expressing confidence in his team’s abilities.
“We’ll beat them the next time, too. We’re just a better team,” Butler stated. “Our team is so ready for anything that anybody’s thrown at us. We’re so together, playing some incredible basketball. I don’t think it matters who we go up against right now. It’s that time of the year.”
Since the incident, the Miami Heat have recorded a 7-6 record, while the New Orleans Pelicans have gone 8-3. The Miami Heat currently hold the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, while the New Orleans Pelicans are the fifth seed in the Western Conference.
Before their upcoming matchup, the Miami Heat secured a 107-104 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the New Orleans Pelicans suffered a 121-106 loss to the Orlando Magic, with Brandon Ingram exiting the game due to a knee injury.
Reflecting on his ejection after the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Butler humorously mentioned the financial consequences, emphasizing the need to recoup his losses.
“The memory? I got fined a lot of money, that’s my memory. I don’t give a (expletive) about tensions flaring and all that,” Butler joked. “I got kids, diapers, baby food… You know what I’m talking about, like, that’s crazy? I’m trying to get my bread back.”
With solid performances since the NBA All-Star break, averaging 22.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, the New Orleans Pelicans will need to be wary of Jimmy Butler’s impact in their upcoming matchup.
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