NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HEAT VS. CELTICS

May 27, 2023

Erik Spoelstra

Miami Heat

Game 6: Postgame

Boston Celtics 104, Miami Heat 103

ERIK SPOELSTRA: Making that ball go anywhere but Jayson Tatum. Ideally, you would think, you hope you do the right things. That thing just bounced a different way. That's the only place it could have bounced to hurt us. I thought we had a lot of things covered on that play and sometimes things just don't break your way.

I don't think there's any regrets on that. It's just a shame. But look, this is the way this season has been. This is one hell of a series. At this time right now, I don't know how we are going to get this done, but we are going up there and get it done. And that's what the next 48 hours is about.

There's been nothing easy about this season for our group, and so we just have to do it the hard way. That's just the way it's got to be for our group.

We wish we would tip this thing off, right now. Right now, let's tip this thing off and let's play another 48 minutes. But we'll wait 48 hours and do this thing in Boston.

Q. A night that not a lot of shots were falling for Jimmy, what did he show you in what he was able to there down the stretch?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: Just competitive will. A lot of things weren't going for us offensively. You do have to credit Boston. They jammed us up. It looked like at one point, we were in the 80s.

But this group has a competitive will and a competitive want to win that is up there with any team I've ever coached. We were down ten and our guys just feel approximately normal in that kind of scenario. Made a bunch of plays. We got some timely defensively stops.

Jimmy drew a couple fouls and you think right there, the basketball gods, things are going to go in your favor. But it doesn't always work out your way. So then you have to do it the hard way. Man, it's a seven-game series. There's nothing better than Game 7s.

Q. Following up on what you just touched on, you praised this team's competitive will repetitively throughout this postseason. How do you get them over the emotional hurdle of losing in literally the last second of the game?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: I mean, I feel like we've had more practice with that than anybody. We've had more buzzer beaters against us this year. It's just been crazy. That's why when we say for the national media that didn't follow us, and we didn't expect you to follow us, when we say we did it the hard way, there were some bone-crushing losses where we did the right things, and then last-second shots, just for the wins against us. And the competitive spirit of this group, we are never to be denied. Even after games like that, we would always come back the next game and find a way to get a win. That's what we have to do right now.

Now, at 11:35 right now, I have no idea how we are going to get this done. I'm as shocked by that play as anyone. I just know in the next 48 hours, we are going to figure this out. There's nothing better than Game 7s. This is an incredible privilege to be playing on this stage in a Game 7 for all the stakes.

Q. You have experience in a Game 7. What do you think about close-out reds and what's your thought on that?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: Close out?

Q. Close-out red jerseys. Wearing red?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: Oh, I have no idea. If that gets it done, I'm all for it. I don't know. We'll figure it out.

Q. Obviously you have a lot of experience in the playoffs, big wins, big losses but for you personally how will you avoid a negative swing after a game like this?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: It's easy for me. I'm not on social media or anything. I just lock in another 48 hours. I told the team to do the same. Let's just rally around each other.

These are emotional games and things can swing in that Game 7. The pressure can go back and forth in Game 7s quite a bit. We're not going anywhere.

Q. What is Jimmy dealing with in pushing through physically in the postseason, and how much are the next 48 hours are about him getting recovery --

ERIK SPOELSTRA: He's good to go. When I talk about our team's competitive will, we are following Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Their will is incredible. If you're a basketball aficionado, the aesthetics might not always be perfect, but you have to admire the competitive spirit out of this group.

So let us get back to our cave. We'll get on that bird tomorrow and gather ourselves and get ready for this game 7. All right?

Q. I think Jimmy and Bam ended up going a combined 9-of-37 from the field.

ERIK SPOELSTRA: I don't give a damn what they shot. We were up one. We may win this thing as ugly as it's ever been done. I don't care what guys shoot. It's the competitive will that I'm talking about, and those guys are going to bring it on -- it's the playoffs, so I have no idea what the day is, but I guess, Monday? All right. Is that good? Thank you.