“Haslem is a shark who’s teaching the next shark what a shark is” - Gilbert Arenas reacts to Jimmy Butler’s altercation with Udonis Haslem and Erik Spoelstra

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat are having a good season, leading the NBA Eastern Conference. But they seem to be having a crisis, having sustained a three-game losing streak, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks.

In their loss to the Warriors, Udonis Haslem and Jimmy Butler had an altercation as they seemed to be experiencing some kind of frustration. This escalated to coach Eric Spoelstra having a heated argument with Butler as other teammates tried to come between them.

Reacting to the altercation, former Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas described Haslem as "a shark who's teaching the next shark what a shark is." He was of the opinion that the 41-year old center knows what it takes to be a champion and he is inculcating that into the team.

"I watched Miami when Haslem and Jimmy Butler got on the court," Arenas said. "Haslem is a shark who's teaching the next shark what a shark is. They had that beef in a two-game loss. This was just a second ass whooping. This wasn't a six-game losing streak.

"That shark don't want a six-game losing streak, so he's challenging the next one, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, you laughing? What's going on? I want to challenge you,' and I need to see him respond."

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Miami Heat maintain top spot in the East despite three-game losing streak

Jimmy Butler (22) and Victor Oladipo of the Miami Heat talk during a free-throw attempt against the Golden State Warriors at FTX Arena on March 23 in Miami, Florida.

As the regular season draws to an end, teams are looking forward to the playoffs. With only eight games left and the Heat (47-27) on a losing streak, their top spot in the East is on the line. The Philadelphia 76ers (46-27) and the Milwaukee Bucks (46-27) are both a half-game behind, and the Boston Celtics (36-28) trail by a game.

Their last three games have been a true test of what the playoffs could entail, and they have underperformed. They sustained a seven-point loss to the 76ers, a 14-point loss to the Golden State Warriors and then an eight-point loss to the New York Knicks.

Their game against Brooklyn on Saturday night could either break their skid or extend it. But with the Nets (38-35) looking to secure their playoff spot, the latter could be their reality.