Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra details the team blowing their lead to the New York Knicks.
The Miami Heat’s collapse against the New York Knicks Friday night had many evaluating the game to see what went wrong.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra attributed the loss to the lack of effort after building a double-digit lead that dwindled in the final period. But he said the lead was evaporating even before the fourth quarter.
“I think it was even before then,” Spoelstra said. “At the end of the third quarter, we were up 20+ [points].
Turnovers and a bad shot, we didn’t get back on defense, and then it turns into a Quickley three and another three, and all of a sudden it gets to 13.
We had an opportunity to take it to 25 like we did the other night, and there’s a karma to it. We were so careless.”
Jimmy Butler had a questionable shot at the end that many felt was rushed or poorly placed. However, Spoelstra defended Butler, and even said he wished the offense was that fast-paced all night.
“I’m good with that,” Spoelstra said. “I like that scramble situation, that’s what we talked about doing.
I thought we tried to set up a few too many times in that fourth quarter. We slowed down and it allowed their defense to pack and get us into late-clock situations.
I wish we had more of those situations where we got the ball into Jimmy’s hands in 4-5 seconds. Or someone else, just with way more pace.
As soon as we start walking into our offense in the fourth quarter, that’s our kryptonite.”