Heat, Butler each fined $15,000 for gesture by forward on team bench

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat each were fined $15,000 Thursday for a gesture made by the forward and the ensuing posting of the video of the gesture during Tuesday night’s series-clinching playoff victory over the Atlanta Hawks at FTX Arena.

Amid a 17-2 Heat surge that closed the first half of that victory, Butler, who was inactive due to knee soreness, celebrated a 10-0 scoring run by teammate Max Strus with an over-the-top, sexually implicit reaction, drawing laughter from teammates. Per the NBA:

“Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been fined $15,000 for making an obscene gesture, it was announced today by Byron Spruell, President, League Operations. The Heat organization has also been fined $15,000 for posting the act on social media.

“The incident, which took place from the team’s bench area, occurred with 1:43 remaining in the second quarter in the Heat’s 97-94 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on April 26 at FTX Arena.”

With that victory, the Heat advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, with that series to begin Monday at FTX Arena.