The Miami Heat will be facing elimination Monday night when they face the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The Heat trail 3-1 in the series and they’ll all the help and support they can get to extend the series. However, one of the Heat’s most fanatical supporters may miss the team’s Game 5 watch party.
“Burnie,” the Heat’s mascot (actually person who wears the suit), was taken to the emergency room at a local hospital after taking a couple of punches from MMA star Conor McGregor during a promotional skit that went sideways during Game 4 on Friday, according to multiple reports.
Burnie, wearing oversized boxing gloves, squared up with McGregor at midcourt during a timeout in the third quarter. McGregor, promoting a product, dropped Burnie with a vicious left-hook to Burnie’s head that sent him to floor. McGregor then landed a straight left hand shot to Burnie’s head while he was being attended to by Heat staffers.
Burnie was dragged off the court amid boos directed at McGregor. Later, the mascot was taken to an emergency room. He saw a doctor, received pain medication and was sent home.
Burnie wasn’t around to see the Heat lose 108-95 to the Nuggets. The Nuggets will have a chance to clinch the title in Game 5, scheduled for Monday night in Denver.
