Israel Gutierrez of the Palm Beach Post reports: Kendall Gill had just been called for a technical foul for giving a half-hearted shove to Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko.
As the five Heat players walked toward the Heat bench for a timeout following the call, there was no reaction. No anger, no passion, not the slightest bit of distress or display of suffering. Just five straight-faced players walking in unison.
That could be the look of a team that has come to grips with the fact this season is a disaster.
Or worse. It could be the look of a team that never had the passion to begin with.
At least that's what Heat coach Pat Riley suggested after the team's record-breaking 95-56 loss to the Utah Jazz at AmericanAirlines Arena on Tuesday.
There were many dubious records broken -- and there should be more uncovered in the aftermath -- including the Heat's lowest shooting percentage in a game (27.7) and in a first half (22.2). The 56 points tie an all-time low, which was set last Dec. 20 in Charlotte, and tied for the third-lowest output by an NBA team since the inception of the shot clock. The team also set an all-time low with three assists in the first half.
Riley himself may have reached an all-time low -- even lower than he felt after the Heat's devastating blowout losses in the playoffs last year.
This time it's not because of how many points the team lost by, but because of how his players have acted and interacted throughout all the losses this season.
"The one thing that I've always tried to build here is an incredible pride in the culture of the Heat," Riley said. "Regardless of what happened in the playoffs, this team is down-and-dirty, die-hard Heat. This would never happen out there with teams I've had in the past. I'm not so sure that everyone's here for that purpose. I think they want to be in Miami, but I don't sense there's anybody here, with the exception of maybe the guys that have some history with us."
That's more than a subtle hint that personnel may change on this team and it may change quickly.
"You can bring some independent contractors in, basically, and they could be here playing for themselves," Riley said. "I've never felt a connection with this team from Day One. They haven't connected with one another, haven't connected on the court. There's not a lot of passion with this team. It's hard to get them to talk up with one another on the court.
"They're passionate after the fact, like tonight they were very passionate when it was too late. You've got to be passionate before the game. I think that has to really be addressed. That's something that you create, but it's created more so than anything, from the chemistry of the players."
In the first half Tuesday, Utah went on a 17-0 run to turn a three-point game into a 32-12 lead early in the second quarter. By the half it was a 24-point Heat deficit, and Riley found himself with nothing left to say to his group that was obviously about to drop to 5-18 for the year.
"Players have to inspire coaches to inspire them," said Riley, who suffered his worst defeat as a Heat coach. "I could've torn up a locker room, I could've broken mirrors, I could've done that kind of stuff, but they even have to inspire you to do that. And there was none of that out there tonight. I can inspire anybody, but sometimes I need a little help."
Center Alonzo Mourning admits he's not doing much to inspire anyone with his play. Even Mourning, the eternal optimist, agrees with Riley's assessment of the team.
"I don't think it's just the chemistry not developing. I think it's just collectively each individual on this team is not coming to some type of resolve with their play, trying to find better answers and doing the best we can to improve," Mourning said. "It's like we're stumbling our way into each and every game.
"There's a lack of consistency across the board. The key players, including myself, there isn't any leadership by example."
As for Riley's intimation that some players are playing for themselves and not the betterment of the team, there was little reaction.
"Speaking for myself, I want to be here," Gill said.
But one player's reaction to the news of Riley's threats could be more telling of the team's problems.
"Hey," the player said, "I'm just here."