The Miami Heat will not incur any discipline for sitting three starters Sunday at San Antonio, an NBA spokesman said Monday. The NBA believes, a source said, the situation is totally different from when it fined the San Antonio Spurs $250,000 for sending four starters home from a Nov. 29 game at Miami. Those players — Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Danny Green — were sent home on a commercial flight before the game and did not have listed injuries. The Heat sat out LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers. They all had listed injuries and were at the arena for Miami’s surprising 88-86 win. The Heat said James suffered a right hamstring strain in the first half Friday at New Orleans, but he played in the second half. Wade injured his right ankle last Wednesday at Chicago but played against the Hornets. And Chalmers had sat out against the Hornets because of a sprained right ankle. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters before Sunday’s game that the three Heat starters sitting out had nothing to do with what the Spurs and coach Gregg Popovich had done in November in Miami. “I could see how you guys can draw that conclusion, but no," Spoesltra said.
It remains to be seen whether James, Wade or Chalmers will play Tuesday in the Heat's home game against New York. Chris Tomasson can be reached at christomasson@hotmail.com or on Twitter @christomasson
