The Miami Heat's season was not supposed to end like this. Under Erik Spoelstra's lengthy tenure as the head coach, few could ever credibly accuse his Heat team of "quitting" mid-game -- but when TNT's Charles Barkley launched such an accusation on Monday,

It certainly had an impact,” Spoelstra said Wednesday when asked how Butler’s contentious exit impacted the team. “We are an organization that prides ourselves on not making any kind of excuses.

The Heat were by no means a top contender in the East when Butler was traded, but without their star they struggled to win games. Miami's struggles were on full display in its first-round matchup with the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.