MIAMI — Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who has coached Michael Beasley three separate times, seemed surprised the surging Knicks forward threw a little shade in his direction.
“Yeah, geez Beas, you threw me under the bus, man,” Spoelstra said.
After the Knicks’ 107-103 overtime loss, in which Beasley scored 20 points in 23 minutes but also was injured after appearing to taunt the Miami bench, he and Spoelstra met on the court for a few words. Spoelstra was trying to clear the air.
Beasley had three stints with Miami, including his first two years after getting drafted No. 2 by Pat Riley.
Asked if he was surprised by Beasley’s comment, Spoelstra said: “No, it’s all good. I probably was crazy the first couple of years. I probably still am crazy.”
Beasley told The Post on Wednesday: “I feel I could’ve gotten more out of that organization. I feel Spo could’ve believed in me a lot more than he did. It’s in the past. [There’s] no love lost.”
Told he went to play for Spoelstra three separate times, Beasley said: “I had no choice.”
When Miami reporters approached Beasley before the Knicks faced the Heat on Friday at AmericanAirlines Arena, Beasley said about his Miami stints: “I just feel like when I was here, it was more of what I couldn’t do or more of what I wasn’t good at as opposed to what I was. I just felt like I could have done a whole lot more for them.”
After Friday’s game, Beasley must have heard some nice things from his former coach.
“He’s an amazing coach but a better person,” Beasley said. “He wished [me] for the best, wished things could’ve been different. But it’s life. It’s how things move, how things work. But I wish him all the best, too.”
Before the showdown, Spoelstra heaped genuine praise upon Beasley, who has lit it up since December, averaging 16.4 points per game.
“I really liked the way they’re using him,’’ Spoelstra said. “We all root for Michael. He’s one of those guys you like having around, great personality, like having around every single day with a smile on his face. Not afraid of working. He loves the game. I like being around guys like that. There was some very good moments when he was here. Three of the four years we went to the playoffs. His second year he was really ready to build off of that year and was a big part of that team that went to the playoffs.
“Obviously the next year, we assembled the Big 3 team. If we hadn’t, he was ready to take another big step.”
As they wait for Tim Hardaway Jr. to return to practice in the next few days, Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek has no plans to insert Beasley into the starting lineup over offensively challenged small forward Lance Thomas.
Hornacek said he feels Beasley can’t defend small forwards with the same polish as Thomas — which is why he has used the former Kansas State stud more at power forward this season. One theory for getting Beasley into the starting lineup is it will ease the burden on Kristaps Porzingis, who is double-teamed often. Teams sometimes don’t pay al that much attention to Thomas.
“The whole premise of this season is trying to get after it defensively and establish ourselves in that regard,’’ Hornacek said. “[Thomas is] our best defender. Without Tim in the lineup, that’s how we’ve gone. That keeps the rotation with Mike off the bench with that certain group that’s been decent. Mike’s played a lot of 4, but played some 3 recently. A lot of times at the 4, he’s got a huge advantage.”