Miami Heat News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Image credit: ClutchPoints

How Erik Spoelstra, Heat plan to embrace Celtics challenge despite 2-1 playoff deficit

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Zachary Weinberger | Last updated 4/29/24

As the Miami Heat are in a precarious spot in their battle against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, there could be some ways for the team to still be competitive. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke before an integral Game 4 down 2-1 in the series to talk about the habits needed to upset the No. 1 seeded Celtics and shock the basketball world once again.

Spoelstra has been challenged in more ways than one this season as the team continues to go through injury problems as they still miss Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier. However, it’s seen as another wall to climb for Miami as Spoelstra embraces the toughness that the playoffs endure and said that the Heat “want to be challenged.”

“I think we probably better suited for that than most. We played enough games with some facsimile of this kind of lineup,” Spoelstra said. “Maybe not, you know, with both Terry and Jimmy out but we played the majority the season without Terry. So really the challenge is the playoffs and then the high level of competition that the Celtics bring, and this is what we all want. We want to be tested. We want to be challenged and the idea of our playoff series is that hopefully it can bring a higher level out of our entire group, the competitive nature, and the high quality of competition.”

Erik Spoelstra: “The challenge is the playoffs and the high level of competition that the Celtics bring…We want to be tested." #HeatCulture pic.twitter.com/rRlCthb4aF

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) April 29, 2024

A worrying trend for the Heat that must be controlled

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra directs his team against the Boston Celtics in the first half during game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

If there has been a worrying trend in the first three games of the series, it has been the way Miami has started games that have led to painful results. In Game 1, the Celtics started on a 14-0 run right from tip-off and they never looked back, but the tables turned in Game 2 when the Heat shot the lights out with eight three-pointers in the opening period leading to a historic night and the win.

Game 3 came back to bite the Heat as they started shooting poorly, only scoring 12 points in the first quarter, and committed five turnovers leading to 10 points on Boston’s side. With how efficient starts have been dictating the victor, Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints that starting fast is “ideal,” but they have to prepare that “it might not happen that way.”

“Yeah, it’d be ideal. I mean, setting the tone for the game always helps,” Spoelstra said. “It just gets the tenor in the right direction for everybody, The feel, all that. But it might not happen that way. So whatever happens, we have to handle it and put ourselves in a better position to win at the end than we did last game. This is competition. That’s the playoffs. It’s not always gonna go how you want to go, but you still can can find a way to win.”

Asked Erik Spoelstra about the importance of setting the tone, having a great start, especially against a team like Boston.

“It would be ideal…but it might not happen, this is competition, this is the playoffs, it’s not always going to go how you want it to go…" #HeatCulture pic.twitter.com/100IjYy1hE

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) April 29, 2024

Game 4 could be the last chance for Miami to be competitive

There is no doubt that in Game 4, the goal is to set the tone early in any aspect possible and it doesn’t have to be on the offensive side of the ball. The Heat have been known to bring the games in the mud and make it a physical battle, especially in past playoff series against the Celtics.

Time will tell as while every contest in the postseason is a “must-win,” Game 4 Monday night is even more so as going down 3-1 in the series most likely signals the end of the Heat’s playoff hopes. Splitting the two games at home is the only way now for Miami to keep this a competitive series despite having the cards stacked against them.

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: