In 2019, Trae Young was ejected after staring down an opponent following a made three-pointer, turning a brief celebration into a costly moment. The incident showed how quickly emotions can change the course of an NBA game, even when the ball has already gone through the net.

Monday night offered another reminder that the drama does not always end with the final buzzer. Stephen Curry had a moment of his own after Aaron Gordon’s ejection, while Miami’s growing problems brought pointed words from Bam Adebayo, a warning from Giannis Antetokounmpo, and an unexpected appearance from franchise legend Dwyane Wade.

The Heat’s 0–4 start has now put their early-season struggles under the spotlight, and Bam is not happy about becoming the face of the criticism. “Can’t overthink basketball, man. For me, it’s my shot’s not going in. It’s funny how the outside noise wants to make me the scapegoat, but when the tables turn … when the energy shifts, just be prepared for that,” Adebayo said after Miami’s 113–109 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Bam Adebayo Pushes Back as Heat Fall to 0–4

Miami entered Monday’s matchup already searching for answers after three straight losses, but the defeat against Dallas only made the questions louder. Adebayo finished with eight points on 3-of-10 shooting, including 0-of-5 from beyond the arc, as the Heat fell to 0–4 to open the season.

The frustration was not limited to one poor shooting night, either. Adebayo averaged 11.8 points on 40% shooting through Miami’s first four games, well below the 20.1 points per game he averaged the previous season, giving critics another reason to question his start.

Bam had a clear response to those questioning his performances. “The media gonna be the media. They gonna try to bury you when you’re down, and then it’s quiet when you’re up, so you expect that from the media.”

The comments came after former Heat stars Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade had publicly raised questions about Miami’s early struggles, particularly the dynamic between Adebayo and Antetokounmpo. For a team trying to build a new identity around its stars, the discussion has quickly moved beyond the win-loss column.

Giannis, however, was not interested in pinning the team’s problems on one player. Despite recording 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists against Dallas, his first triple-double in a Heat uniform, the two-time MVP could not prevent another defeat.

“Defensively, I think our effort is there. Do we have to, you know, watch film and get a lot better? 1,000%. We just got to, as much as bad as it might sound, take a breath, relax, and just play basketball,” Antetokounmpo said.

He also pointed to a problem that goes beyond individual shooting numbers, suggesting that Miami’s players are still trying to work out how to play together. “I feel like everybody’s trying to figure out what the next person wants instead of focusing on themselves or what they have to do. At the end of the day, I feel like when I’m at my best, when any player is at his best, is when he’s decisive.”

The Heat’s head coach, Erik Spoelstra, also acknowledged that the team must improve its execution when the game slows down. “We are going to have to execute in the halfcourt. There’s no way around that. You can’t play a pace game for a full 48 minutes. You also do need to be able to execute in the halfcourt, and that’s where our spacing and our principles become so vital to open up driving lanes and open up opportunities for our guys to make plays.”

That spacing issue has also been raised by teammate Davion Mitchell, who noted that Adebayo and Antetokounmpo can occupy the same areas of the floor and need to spread out when playing together. With Miami now winless through four games, the question is whether the group can find a rhythm before the criticism grows even louder.

Curry Has a Moment After Aaron Gordon’s Ejection

While Miami’s problems played out in postgame interviews, Denver’s frustration boiled over during its 134–114 loss to Golden State. Gordon was ejected with 8:34 remaining in the fourth quarter after receiving two technical fouls in quick succession, leaving the Nuggets without one of their key forwards for the closing stretch.

The incident began after Christian Braun was called for an offensive foul involving Curry, prompting Gordon to argue with the officials. After receiving his first technical, Gordon continued protesting and pointed toward a referee, drawing a second technical and an immediate ejection.

Curry then appeared to mimic the officials’ ejection gesture as Gordon headed toward the tunnel. The moment quickly became a talking point, although no verified direct quote establishes that Curry verbally taunted Gordon.

Gordon finished with seven points on 2-of-10 shooting in 25 minutes, while Golden State took control of the game and secured its first win of the season. The Warriors’ victory also came with a performance that deserves more attention than the confrontation itself.

Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg led the way with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, while Curry added 24 points without missing a field goal. Lendeborg’s performance was particularly striking because it came in just his fourth career game, giving Golden State an unexpected offensive force alongside its established star.

The Warriors’ official team account also highlighted the rookie’s unusual start, including his production across his first four games. Rather than relying entirely on Curry to carry the scoring, Golden State found another player capable of changing the game, and that could prove more important than a viral moment involving Gordon.

Anthony Edwards’ 47 Points Still Aren’t Enough

Minnesota also left Monday night with questions after a 127–125 overtime loss to Cleveland, despite Anthony Edwards scoring 47 points. The Timberwolves had built a 15-point lead, but the Cavaliers fought their way back and eventually found the plays needed to close out the game.

James Harden helped force overtime with a seven-foot floater that tied the score at 113 with 10.4 seconds remaining in regulation. Donovan Mitchell then scored five points in overtime as Cleveland completed the comeback, handing Minnesota its first loss of the season.

Edwards finished 19-of-33 from the field and made five three-pointers, but the performance ultimately went unrewarded. The result was another reminder that even a huge scoring night can be wasted when a team fails to close out a game, especially against a Cleveland side that kept finding answers when it mattered.

Kevin Durant Praises Sengun After Rockets’ 4–0 Start

Houston, meanwhile, continued its unbeaten opening with a 120–110 win over Atlanta, powered by Alperen Sengun’s all-around performance. The Rockets center recorded 29 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, six steals, and a block, while shooting 11-of-15 from the field.

The six steals marked a career high for Sengun, whose aggressive approach around the basket has been a major part of Houston’s early success. Through four games, he has led the Rockets in scoring while also contributing heavily as a rebounder and playmaker.

Kevin Durant was impressed by how Sengun has handled one-on-one matchups, particularly with defenses having to account for Houston’s other scoring threats. “They must have read a lot of bad articles this summer about him. So they feel like they can get a stop on him one-on-one. And we love that matchup, every time down,” Durant said.

Sengun has also been clear about his mindset, explaining that he wants to attack the basket rather than settle for difficult shots. “I’m in the mode that I’m just gonna go to the rim every time,” he said.

Head coach Ime Udoka has noticed the difference in Sengun’s approach as well. “He’s not settling for the long floater (or) hook shot as much. He forces his way down there. I think he has a nice bounce in his step. He looks really fresh and active right now.”

Houston’s spacing has helped create those opportunities, with defenders forced to respect Durant and the team’s perimeter threats. Sengun is taking a larger share of his shots at the rim, and the Rockets have made opponents pay when they leave him in single coverage.

The early results are encouraging, but four games are still a small sample. For now, Houston’s 4–0 start offers a promising contrast to Miami’s struggles, with Sengun giving the Rockets another reliable way to create offense.

Dwyane Wade Has a Very Clear Message for Heat Fans

Miami’s latest defeat also brought a familiar name into the conversation, as Wade watched courtside with his wife, Gabrielle Union. With the Heat struggling to find wins, fans and the broadcast team joked about whether the franchise legend could return to help his former team.

Wade was quick to put that idea to rest, using a recent injury as part of his answer. “I am fully retired… I went up to dunk recently and I tore my bicep muscle. People, stop asking me to come back and play basketball. Everyone know my journey, I shared my journey what I went through a couple years ago, and I kinda changed my lifestyle, changed my body. My wife as well, my family, we’re just trying to live a good life, and we’re trying to be good people while we do that. We’re just trying to stay out the way, live our lives, raise our kids and just, love each other as a family.”

Wade retired in 2019, and his answer made it clear that he has no plans to reverse that decision. The former Heat star has also spoken publicly about overcoming kidney cancer in 2023, making his focus on family and life after basketball an important part of his post-playing career.

For Miami, though, the answer to a 0–4 start will have to come from the players already on the roster. Giannis wants the team to stay calm, Bam wants the criticism to stop turning him into the scapegoat, and Spoelstra knows the offense needs better execution.

The next step is turning those words into wins. Until that happens, Miami’s early-season struggles will keep drawing attention, and even a retired legend sitting courtside will not be enough to make the questions disappear.

More From Monday Night Around the NBA

Boston cruised past Chicago 134–99, with Payton Pritchard scoring 28 points off the bench. He poured in 19 points in the third quarter alone, making all five of his three-point attempts during a 39–21 Celtics run that broke the game open.

Charlotte also had a standout performance, as Brandon Miller scored a career-high 39 points in the Hornets’ 110–103 win over Washington. Miller shot 15-of-28 from the field and added five three-pointers, six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks as Charlotte improved to 3–1.

Those performances offered two more reasons to keep an eye on the early season, even as the bigger headlines belonged to ejections, frustration, and teams searching for answers. Monday’s games showed how quickly the mood around a team can change, and the next few games will reveal which of these early storylines become lasting trends.