Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside was ejected Monday for needlessly shoving Boston Celtics big man Kelly Olynyk late in the third quarter of the Heat's 100-90 loss at AmericanAirlines Arena, and Dwyane Wade ripped into his teammate after the game.
Dwyane Wade rips Hassan Whiteside after another ejection
Whiteside was ejected for a needless shove of Kelly Olynyk, and Wade expressed his displeasure with his teammate after the game.
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Miami is fighting for its life in the Eastern Conference playoff race and were already playing short-handed. The starting frontcourt of Chris Bosh and Josh McRoberts has been out for much of the season. Luol Deng has been battling injuries and started on Monday. Goran Dragic and Udonis Haslem are also hurting, and Whiteside himself missed the Heat's last game with an injury.
With the team fighting for a playoff spot, they need all the bodies they can get. That’s especially the case when it comes to Whiteside, who has been a revelation this season in Miami. While the big man struggled before the ejection, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have helped lead a comeback.
Needless to say, Wade was furious about his teammate’s actions:
Dwyane Wade with strong words about Hassan Whiteside. Transcribed from his postgame interview. pic.twitter.com/5Cv0888CFt
— Chris Wittyngham (@1043Chris) March 10, 2015 Some are sure to say this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black, because Wade has committed his share of dirty plays in his career. But in this case, Wade is right to call out Whiteside. There was no reason for Whiteside to truck Olynyk, and it cost the Heat in a much-needed game. Miami fell to ninth-place in the Eastern Conference with the loss.
Whiteside has racked up over $40,000 in fines this season, and he was recently ejected for fighting with Phoenix Suns center Alex Len. Because of his prior history, Whiteside is sure to be suspended by the NBA, something Miami just can't afford.
Whiteside has been huge for the Heat this season, but some of his actions of late have cost his team. There’s a point where those kinds of actions outweigh the good he provides on the court, and he’s teetering on that line right now. The 25-year-old needs to get his act together, and perhaps Wade’s harsh words will be what sets him straight.
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