MIAMI -- From the start of Monday night's game between the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns, it seemed like words were definitely going to be exchanged between centers Hassan Whiteside and Alex Len. It was only going to be words exchanged if the two were lucky because two young, relatively physical centers brimming with confidence over their play this season were primed to get under each other's skin. And that's exactly what happened.

With about 4:30 left in the third quarter, Whiteside corralled another offensive rebound for the Heat. He went right back up in the face of Len and dunked. As he came down from the dunk, his right arm came down on the shoulder of Len, almost acting as if he didn't care if Len was in his way after the dunk. Len took exception to the aftermath of Whiteside's dunk and immediately pushed him aside. This caused Whiteside to go to the ground a bit.

Then things got feisty with Whiteside immediately trying to tackle Len and taking him to the ground. The two big men were separated and both were ejected from the game for fighting actions. Whiteside showed some contrition for the incident, recognizing that he put his teammates in a tougher position by getting himself ejected from the game.

"I felt like it was about the fourth or fifth time I dunked on him, I felt like he was really frustrated," Whiteside said after the Heat's 115-98 win. "I mean I shouldn't have came back and retaliated in the way I did. It really hurt my team. I wasn't out there to really protect the rim and defend the basket.

That's what it was. It was just that I just kept dunking on him."

At the time of the kerfuffle and the ejections, the Heat had built up a 12-point lead but the Suns were hanging around. There were different story lines with Goran Dragic's first game facing the Phoenix Suns since he had been traded at the deadline. He was traded after publicly stating he didn't trust the Suns' front office, forcing their hand of moving him rather than letting him potentially walk in free agency this summer. 

During the game, Markieff Morris was ejected for a flagrant 2 foul on Dragic during a fast break opportunity. But the animosity between Len and Whiteside was there from the start of the game. Almost immediately, Whiteside dunked in the face or presence of Len multiple times in the opening minutes of the game and there were words and elbows exchanged between the two. Two and a half quarters of that proved to be too much before it finally boiled over.

Whiteside finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in his 26 minutes. Len had a final line of 10 points, 11 rebounds, and two steals in his 27 minutes on the floor.

"I'm starting to realize a lot more teams is starting to be really physical with me," Whiteside admitted after the game. "I'm down for it. I mean that's what I lift weights for -- for the physicality. I'm pretty prepared for that."

Whiteside reiterated that he shouldn't have retaliated but credited his reaction to the "heat of the moment." It was a teaching moment for the Heat and Whiteside. Several players enjoyed seeing the fight in him, but recognized that it was something he'd have to control. 

Len and Whiteside will wait to find out if their actions require further punishment, whether it's a fine or a suspension.