The Heat have been fined $25K for “failing to comply with league policies governing injury reporting,” the NBA announced on Saturday (Twitter link).
As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes, Heat star Jimmy Butler was a late scratch for Tuesday’s victory over the Celtics due to lower back tightness, and he was not previously listed on the team’s injury report, which apparently led to the fine.
This is the second time this season the Heat have been docked $25K for an injury reporting violation. In the previous incident, Miami didn’t formally announce prior to tip-off whether a handful of players listed as probable and questionable would be available or out.
After dealing with a myriad of injuries in the early portions of 2022/23, Miami has finally gotten relatively healthy and has been playing very well. At one point last month the Heat were just 12-15, but they have gone 16-7 over the past 23 games to currently hold a 28-22 record, making them the No. 6 seed in the East.