Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat have each been fined $15,000 for what the NBA deemed as “an obscene gesture” made by Butler in the Heat’s 97-94 Game 5 first-round closeout win over the Atlanta Hawks, the league announced Thursday.
The NBA also fined Heat forward Markieff Morris $25,000 on Thursday for interfering with live game play while on the bench, which also occurred during Game 5.
Butler’s rules infraction occurred late in the second quarter. Amid a personal 10-0 run by Heat guard Max Strus, Butler stood on the sideline and made a thrusting motion with his hips to celebrate his teammate’s success. The Heat later posted a video of Butler’s gesture to their social media account.
Butler, whose 30.5-point scoring average is the second best in the league this postseason, sat out Game 5 because of inflammation in his right knee.
Morris, while not in the game, grabbed and held Hawks guard De’Andre Hunter out of bounds on the Heat bench, preventing Hunter from completely reestablishing himself inbounds as he caught a pass from a teammate, the league determined.
The winner of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ and Toronto Raptors‘ first-round series will face Miami in the second round.