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NBA FINALS: HEAT v SPURSJune 5, 2014Erik SpoelstraSAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: Game One Miami Heat - 95 Q.  Spo, I know it's obviously both teams had to play in it. LJ gets the layup and it's a two‑point game and then he can't go.  How frustrating is that element for you that your best guy couldn't be out there for the last four minutes? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: It was an unusual environment. We're used to having the hotter arena at this time of year. But both teams had to deal with it. It's unfortunate that it was that way. It was how we responded in those minutes after that point. I think it felt like a punch in the gut when you see your leader limping like that back to the bench, but at the same time we still had an opportunity to make plays going down the stretch, and they made obviously the biggest plays in the last five minutes. Q. Coach, on that note, what do you think about the way the Spurs responded once LeBron was out? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: Yeah, it was an explosion at that point, they flattened us out offensively. And Danny Green shook free for those threes, and the floodgates came open at that point. I think when we were up five with the time‑out, 86‑79, from that point on it was a 30‑to‑6 run or something like that. Q. LeBron had been a big factor in keeping Green quiet, he didn't hit a basket in the first three quarters. Then he's out and Green explodes. COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: It's not necessarily who is guarding him. He has a way of shaking free when you're concentrating on other guys, and that's what makes him dangerous. The two of his threes were off of other actions, and the last one was a specific play for him and he made us play for that. Q. You're used to having hotter arenas at this time of year. Do you find it suspicious that the air conditioning went off considering LeBron's history of cramping? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: No, that would take an incredible mind to try to plan that for both teams to be able to go through that. Both teams are trying to manage it the best you could. We were going deeper into our subs, quicker subs than you're used to seeing. Q. Have you had to ever deal with an environment like that before in terms of the heat? Did the trainers do anything special on the bench? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: Just trying to hydrate as much as possible. LJ, look, at one point he was getting up with three and a half minutes to go and I looked at him and said "Don't even think about it. You can't even move at this point." No, the time we had something similar to this and it wasn't to this level was in our arena. Look, both teams had to do it, we're not making excuses for it. You had to play through it, you had to manage it the best you could. With five and change it's a great ballgame. It's up for grabs regardless of the circumstances. Q. Other than the last minutes of the game that there was a total collapse from you guys, before that were you comfortable or glad with the way you played defense and managed the game to have a chance to win? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: It's a possession series, yeah, you want to put yourself in a position to have a chance at the end. Look, you gotta make so many plays in this game in this series on both ends. So it goes back and forth, back and forth, and mental stability throughout all the runs is key. Q. Feels to you the same way, that it's going to be a rally series? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: What? Q. Rally series, ups and downs between two teams? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: Yep. THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Coach. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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