On Tuesday night, the Miami Heat faced the Sacramento Kings and won convincingly, 130-117, thanks to a three-point barrage that left head coach Doug Christie scratching his head. In the middle of that game, things got heated between the two sides — with DeMar DeRozan and Bam Adebayo getting into a fiery exchange after the former had fouled Heat guard Pelle Larsson by giving him a major shove.
Adebayo then stepped in and put on his enforcer cap, pushing DeRozan away and confronting him for his treatment of Larsson. In the Kings star's defense, his frustrations towards what he perceived as flopping from the Heat guard got the best of him. Even then, Adebayo did not take too kindly to the words DeRozan hurled towards his teammate, and as a result, the exchange between the two escalated.
“Don't do that,” DeRozan implored.
“That's my guy. God d**n DeMar,” Adebayo said.
However, the extracurriculars between the Heat and Kings did not stop there. With the game out of the latter's reach towards the end of the fourth, DeRozan decided to leave something on Larsson, smacking him across the head. The Heat guard now confronted DeRozan himself, telling him that what he did was not a basketball play. The Kings star then tried to goad Larsson into a retaliatory blow by asking him to “do something about it”.
(Video review courtesy of LegendZ on X.)
What DeMar Derozan Really Said To Bam Adebayo👀:
Derozan: “Don’t do that!”
Bam: “Shut your a** up… what are we doing?”
Later in the game, DeMar fouled Pelle Larsson again and things escalated:
DeMar: “Do something, b*tch a** n****”
Pelle: “That’s not a basketball play” pic.twitter.com/t9BnmZ3g9c
— LegendZ (@legendz_prod) January 22, 2026
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The Kings' poor season seems to be getting to DeRozan, who is stuck in this helpless scenario in what might be the league's worst-run franchise.
Heat keep plucking contributors out of thin air
Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45), guard Pelle Larsson (9), and center/forward Bam Adebayo (13) stand after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center.
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
What's given the Heat a lifeline over the past decade or so is the fact that they've brought out the best in unheralded players like Larsson. Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and Caleb Martin, just to name a few, feasted when they were on the Heat and cashed in when they hit free agency.
Larsson is the latest success story for the Heat. The 44th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft has emerged as a key rotation piece for Miami this year — a huge win.