'Who Was Late to Help?' – Udonis Haslem Reveals Near Fight With Heat Coach in 2011 Finals
Fans still remember the iconic showdown between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals. Udonis Haslem was surrounded by the Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Mavericks, on the other hand, were led by the lone star,
There was a lot of talk that the Heat would take over the Finals. They were younger, more athletic and had James. The Mavericks had an aging roster featuring Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion and Tyson Chandler. But experience proved to be the winning formula for Dallas.
On Saturday’s episode of “NBA on Prime Video,” host Taylor Rooks opened an old wound for Haslem when she asked about the defensive lapse that the Heat had in Game 2. Rooks asked the German legend which player was late to help when he drove to the basket and made a lafty layup.
“Game two of the 2011 finals. Game is tied in the final seconds. You drove to the basket for the game-winning finger roll. Who was late to help on defense?” Rooks asked.
According to the 2011 Finals MVP, it was Udonis Haslem, since he was the one under the basket. Following his answer, the Heat legend opened up about what went wrong during that defensive possession.
“Now, let me tell the story since you want to bring it up,” Haslem said. “Me and Erik Spoelstra almost got in a fist fight. That was supposed to be my defensive assignment. And right before we came out of the huddle, Spo said, ‘
Chris Bosh, you take Dirk.’ I was pissed off from that point on. Yeah, I was late cuz I should have been on Dirk the whole time.”
Haslem and the Heat made the most of the following year, beating the
Udonis Haslem addressed the recent increase in player injuries
The number of players injured in the 2025-26 NBA season is concerning. Some have blamed the league’s scheduling as the source of player injuries. However, Udonis Haslem disagreed with that take. According to him, how players prepare ahead of the gueling season is likely the cause of the injuries.
“I understand the scheduling situation and that’s something you can’t control,” said Haslem. “But as players, and I’ve said this before, we always focus on the things that we can’t control. What can we control? How we prepare for the season.”
Teams and players must have more time to prepare, Haslem continued. This is to make sure their bodies are in peak condition, since the fast-paced system of today’s game potentially contributes to the injuries.
'We played really soft': Nikola Vucevic, Bulls grind out win over bottom of the barrel Wizards
Saturday had a celebratory feel at United Center as the Bulls paid tribute to six franchise greats during their Ring of Honor Ceremony while also trying to take care of a Washington team near the bottom of the league. The
He wrapped up the night with 28 points and 12 rebounds, but the numbers did little to soften his mood. Speaking with K. C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network, Vucevic made it clear he was frustrated,
“We didn’t do anything we talked about. We played really soft, it was really bad,” said the Bulls big man. “Obviously, we are happy we won, but we can’t keep doing this; it’s not sustainable. We have to be better.”
Nikola Vucevic’s visible annoyance despite the Bulls win
Vucevic did not hold back when he talked about the team’s effort, describing the first three quarters as soft before noting how the group finally woke up in the fourth and outscored Washington 29 to 22.
The interview itself had a brief interruption when Matas Buzelis and Jalen Smith drifted into the frame, both trying to annoy Vucevic. Smith kept joking around behind him until Vucevic told him to cut it out, then he turned his attention back to the conversation.
The Bulls spent most of the night playing from behind and only grabbed control once the fourth quarter arrived. The group looked worn down overall, with injuries thinning the rotation and the grind of five games in seven days clearly taking a toll.
Bulls coming up big in second halves
Chicago has leaned on big second halves more than once this season to pull games out of trouble. Their most dramatic example came on November 4, when the Bulls stormed back from twenty four points down
The same script played out last Monday against the Denver Nuggets, when the Bulls seized control after the break and pushed ahead by winning the third quarter 40 to 29 before closing out a tight 130 to 127 win.
The Bulls have wrapped up a grueling stretch of five games in seven days, coming away with three wins and two losses to push their record to 9-7. O
