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Miami Heat center Dewayne Dedmon has been suspended by the team for one game after he swatted a massage gun onto the court during the second quarter in Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Heat announced Dedmon’s suspension Wednesday night after consulting with the NBA. He exchanged words with head coach Erik Spoelstra on the sideline during a break in play after being subbed out and then launched the medical device onto the court following the timeout.
Dedmon was ejected from the game, leaving Miami with just seven players for the rest of the encounter.
Miami went on to win the game 112-111 thanks in large part to setting an NBA record by going 40-of-40 from the free-throw line.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Spoelstra called Dedmon’s actions “unacceptable.”
“We’re all a bunch of gnarly personalities,” he said. “That part was unfortunate. Everything before that, that’s the Miami Heat. That part was unacceptable.”
Dedmon only played five minutes against the Thunder before he was ejected. The 33-year-old has appeared in 29 games off the bench this season, averaging 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest.
This is the third season with the Heat for Dedmon, who has carved out a successful NBA career after going undrafted in 2013. The USC alum has played for seven different teams, including three seasons with both the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks as well as the Heat.
Dedmon’s fellow center Bam Adebayo, who sat out against the Thunder with a wrist injury, is listed as probable for Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Heat are currently the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 22-20 record. They have won 11 of their last 17 games after starting the season 11-14.
