So far, the NBA bubble experiment has been an overwhelming success. Every single game has been entertaining as the players have given us plenty of storylines to look out for as the playoffs quickly approach. With the postseason just about a week away, the intensity has started to pick up, and in last night's Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder game, that intensity was on full display.
In the clip below, Duncan Robinson of the Heat, and Chris Paul of the Thunder, started getting into it and it eventually led to Paul throwing the ball off of Robinson's shoulder. As you can imagine, the Heat players were upset at Paul for this and during the Heat's next offensive possession, Butler disposed of Paul as he charged him to the floor. Following the game, Butler spoke on his run-in with Paul, noting that he had to send a message.
“You’re not gonna throw the ball at my teammate like that. We don’t do that here. You mess with one of my guys, especially one of my shooters, then you gotta deal with me and everybody else," Butler said.
Clearly, both of these teams are ready for the playoffs, particularly the Heat who have been the most shocking team of the NBA season.