The Miami Heat will be without the services of Hassan Whiteside for one game as the center was suspended on Tuesday.
Whiteside's suspension comes a day after he was ejected from his second game in a week. Whiteside fouled Kelly Olynyk of the Boston Celtics in third quarter on Monday. The foul was deemed to be a flagrant-two which resulted in Whiteside's ouster.
Prior to the foul, Whiteside believed that officials missed a call on him. Anger and frustration got the best of the young center moments later when he fouled Olynyk. The decision to toss Whiteside came quickly and the NBA followed suit with its one-game suspension.
Last Monday, Whiteside was involved in an altercation with Alex Len of the Phoenix Suns. At the time, both men were thrown out of the game and it appeared Whiteside was destined for a suspension. The NBA elected to only fine Whiteside at the time though likely due to his history. That moment however appears to have factored into Tuesday's decision to suspend Whiteside.
Miami was not pleased with Whiteside's actions even before the NBA announced the suspension. When asked if he was disappointed in Whiteside, Dwyane Wade was clear with his thoughts.
"We all are. As a Heat fan you are. In this locker room we are. Everybody. He’s gonna have to learn and he’s gonna learn the hard way. He’s doing it his own way. Hopefully he changes his mentality pretty quick," Wade told the Palm Beach Post.
With a depleted roster and players playing while not 100%, Whiteside's ejection possibly cost the Heat Monday's game. Currently sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, the Heat need every win they can get.
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“We all have our moments, selfish moments, but you can’t continue to keep having them because you got to be reliable, and you got to be able to be counted on. And right now, if he continues to act that way, then he’s not reliable," Wade added.
The Heat will take on the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
