Kendrick Perkins blasted the Miami Heat fanbase for not backing their team during Friday's crucial play-in game against the Chicago Bulls at home.
During ESPN's broadcast, the retired NBA center expressed his frustration with the number of empty seats at Kaseya Center in what could have been the Heat's last game of the season.
At the halftime break, the Heat held a 47-37 lead in a back-and-forth game, leading Perkins to point out what fans are missing out on.
'It's a close game, it's win or go home,' Perkins said. 'I'm just a little disappointed in the fanbase of the Miami Heat. There are too many open seats.'
ESPN commentator Mike Wilbon added: 'That's not a great fanbase at all. It hasn't been. They're frontrunners. They're frontrunners.'
Kendrick Perkins slammed the Miami Heat fanbase for leaving 'too many' empty seats
"I'm just a little disappointed in the fanbase of the Miami Heat. Too many open seats."
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 20, 2024
"That's not a great fanbase at all. It hasn't been. They're frontrunners. They're frontrunners."
Kendrick Perkins and Michael Wilbon calling out the Miami fans. pic.twitter.com/Pj5BMQypvK
The Heat won their play-in game against the Chicago Bulls in front of a patchy crown on Friday
The game would have been Miami's last of the season if they did not pull off a 112-91 win
Despite not having Jimmy Butler due to a knee injury, the Heat pulled off a 112-91 win to clinch the final playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.
Butler suffered a knee injury when Philadelphia's Kelly Oubre Jr. fell on top of him during Wednesday's loss to the 76ers. Butler played through and scored 19 points before receiving an MRI on Thursday and getting ruled out. Without a concrete timeline, the small forward will miss 'several weeks' with the MCL injury.
Tyler Herro led Miami in Butler's absence, just one assist shy of a triple-double. In 33 minutes, Herro clocked in 24 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists.
Rookie of the Year candidate Jaime Jaquez Jr. recorded 21 points, six rebounds, and six dishes as Bam Adebayo scored 13 points for the evening.
The Heat managed to secure the last seed in the East despite not having Jimmy Butler
Butler is ruled out for 'several weeks' after suffering an MCL injury against the 76ers
Tyler Herro was one dish shy of a triple-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists
Veteran forward Kevin Love also tallied 16 points and seven boards off the bench to push Miami past the Bulls.
Five Chicago players scored double digits, led by DeMar DeRozan's 22-point shift in their losing effort. Starters Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu scored 16, 13, and 10, respectively.
Meanwhile, Javonte Green came off the bench and contributed 12 points.
Miami, who went from the play-in to the NBA Finals last season, will face the No. 1 seeded Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.
