NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS VS. HEAT

May 19, 2022

Erik Spoelstra

Miami Heat

Game 2: Postgame

Celtics 127, Heat 102

Q. Why such a dramatic difference between the two games?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: I don't have that answer right now, but you definitely have to credit Boston. It's not that they just came in with great urgency and physicality; they did have that, for sure. They also played well. They played really well on both ends.

We know what they are capable of defensively. They have done this to some very good offenses. I'm sure they were not happy about us putting up 118 in Game 1. They came out and were very disruptive and got us out of our normal rhythm and flow, and then the shot making on the other end, you know, was very tough to overcome.

Q. Is there an update on P.J. and is there a level of concern?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: I don't have an update right now. If you ask him, he says he's good to go. We'll just have to see tomorrow. I'll talk to the trainers.

Q. When you have a game like this where the scoreboard is as lopsided as it is, do you leave the court thinking there are things you'll be able to take from this and learn from as a group?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: Yeah, that's definitely part of the process in the playoffs. You get to this point of the Conference Finals, you just have very good teams. You have teams without many weaknesses. It's great competition. This only counts as one. This is what the experienced players in the locker room and staff understand. We don't like it, you know, and they played extremely well. You have two really good teams, and we just have to figure some things out.

Q. As great as Jimmy has been in these playoffs, when he's having to try to will it himself like he was in the third quarter, is that what you want the offense to look like? Is that good for the offense?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: He's got to do whatever we need, and that's going to be like A to Z on the menu. But we are facing a very good defense, so we have to do things with great detail, with purpose. They can flatten you out, just like we can flatten teams out. This is the thing about competition. We have two really good defensive teams. When we are at our best, we can make them look a certain way and they definitely made us look a certain way tonight.

You know, we just have to figure some things out where we can get to what we want to get to even though they are trying to take away what we want to get to.

Q. What do you think was the biggest difference in the first half just in the sense of their approach that created that huge lead?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: It's not just their approach. They played well. I wouldn't just say that it was because they had great desperation or urgency. It wasn't a matter of us not wanting or us not on edge. We really got outplayed in a lot of areas. You know, defensively, the shot making, that got us out of what we normally do, and that's what shot making can do. If you start the game 9 of 11 from three, that will get you out of your habits pretty quickly.

And then we didn't respond well on the other end, either, during those important stretches when it was like eight, ten points. And then frustration set in from that point, playing poorly on both ends. And again, you just have to credit Boston. They played very well tonight.

Q. Both Jimmy this week and the broadcast tonight said Kyle is close to returning. I know you had no update yesterday --

ERIK SPOELSTRA: Still don't.

THE MODERATOR: He's making progress.