Waiters crying foul on Heat’s shortage of chances at the line

MIAMI — The last time the Miami Heat were this pent up about a lack of free throws, coach Erik Spoelstra prefaced his comments by saying, “Look, NBA, do not fine me.”

That was after his team was rewarded with only eight foul shots compared to 26 for the Golden State Warriors in a twopoint loss Feb. 10. No fine followed, just league acknowledgment of a key missed call by an official in the late going.

This time, with the Philadelphia 76ers attempting 35 free throws to his team’s 12 in Thursday night’s 106-102 loss at Wells Fargo Center, Spoelstra simply offered: “I’m not even going to get into it, and I told our players not even to get into it. It doesn’t look right.”

But his players did get into it, particularly guard Dion Waiters, whose 18-point effort featured just two attempts from the line.

“I feel we played hard, we attacked and calls didn’t go our way,” Waiters said. “You look at the fouls — man, it’s 35-12. So it’s kind of hard when you’re battling and you know you give it everything you’ve got and you can’t touch guys out there.

“It’s been like that, so it’s frustrating, but we can only control what we can control. Something’s got to give also, man. You’ve got too many guys on this team that drive. As far as us getting in the paint, the numbers are right there and we don’t go to the free-throw line at all.”

The Heat closed with 66 points in the paint to the 76ers’ 52.

“Like I said, you know something’s got to give,” Waiters said as the Heat turn their attention to Saturday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons at AmericanAirlines Arena. “We’ve got to keep fighting through it, keep battling. And as hard as it sounds, and it’s very frustrating, we’ve just got to stay with it.”

Waiters said it’s as if the Heat’s physical reputation has been discounted on one end of the court. They are 20th in free throws at 22 per game.

“You know, we’re physical,” he said. “That’s what we’re known for [being]: a physical, tough team. We’re going to make it hard every night for you.

“But we’re going to put our heads down too and get to the basket. I get in the paint a whole lot [and] I went to the free-throw line twice. Come on, man — when you look at [35-12] free throws, something’s not right.”

Iverson tribute: Heat guard Dwyane Wade said he was particularly touched that the 76ers had Allen Iverson narrate Philadelphia’s video tribute at Thursday’s game, Wade’s final regular-season appearance at Wells Fargo Center during his retirement tour.

“When I was a kid, Michael Jordan [was] No. 1, Allen Iverson No. 2 and Kobe Bryant No. 3 — my top three favorite players of all time,” Wade said. “To take myself out of the moment and think about 20-some years later, Allen Iverson’s voice would be the one dedicating something to me in his area, his city. I couldn’t have written it any sweeter, any better.

“I’m so appreciative of obviously every organization that does something like that because they don’t have to. [Iverson is] my guy, man — the guys know he’s one of the two reasons I wear No. 3.

“Every time I see him it’s all love, and I appreciate that and try to [represent] that No. 3 to the fullest. So I hope I made him proud.”

Wade traded jerseys after Thursday’s game with emerging 76ers guard Ben Simmons.

“I remember my first season, he hit a big shot against me and they won the game,” Simmons said. “But [it’s an honor to] just to be on the floor with a legend like that.

“Growing up, I used to wear his shoes when he was with Converse, and it’s just an amazing feeling to be out there with a legend like that.”

Waiters