Postgame Interview: Erik Spoelstra

Postgame Interview: Erik Spoelstra

Eric you sort of addressed this pregame also about being able to finish being able to step up for 40 minutes you went toe-to-toe with the defend defending Champions then what happened then they do what they’ve done a lot this year you know they’ve they’ve had quite a few of

These games um you know where they’ve been in the balance and then when they want to put on the Jets you know they’ve been able to to leave teams behind the dust and and that’s what it felt like tonight it felt like like um they just flipped a switch

Uh in those last four minutes Jackson was a big part of it um you know Murray was on the bench and they’re basically running those those typical Twan actions that they run with Murray and joic but they did it with Jackson and uh you know

He was doing his best fa simile um of Murray um and then at that point it just created enough uh juice and separation uh that they they had that extra kick you know down the stretch and you know clearly it was a struggle for us to score um we had moments and and

And and that that’s fine actually like if we could have kept it in the mud but they had their burst and then we stayed where we were and and that was basically the game know it’s kind of what Denver does but what did they do to keep you

Guys off the three-point line for most of the night yeah you know that’s that is what they do um you know it to me it felt like uh we passed up up some open threes I don’t think it would have been 43 Point attempts you know but certainly

You know it should have been 10 12 more um passed up open ones and then drove it into their size uh you know if you pass up you know some open ones you’re not going to get a better one and and there were definitely you know probably half dozen of those where we

End up getting a worse shot um by passing up one you know and that also keeps the defense honest uh you know you have to work all different aspects of your offense and um we weren’t necessarily able to do that tonight and that’s a credit to Denver I said that

When we played them in Denver they’re one of the more underrated defensive teams and since Allstar break they’ve kind of turned it on on that side of the floor uh you know so we we couldn’t get into our normal you know Rhythm um yeah but uh yeah we we certainly

Needed to um you know take a take a few more of them suppose speaking of their defense Jimmy only had two free throw attempts tonight they’ve been a little down over the last four games or so like is there a Common Thread there as to why yeah I

Don’t know but you know I I think that’s an adjustment from the league you know staff has been talking about that that uh I didn’t receive a memo about it um but it it’s clear that they’re they’re calling a little bit more like that so

Hey we have to make the adjustment and I think that’s a good adjustment go to score not necessarily to to um you know to draw fouls now Jimmy’s got a rugged game so he’s not going to draw fouls he’s going to uh wherever the contact

May be and yeah from my vantage point it looks like some of those you know um you know are fouls you know certainly in the last uh uh three or four games um that those were typically you know fouls but that that’s not why we’re losing games he’ll make the adjustment you know

Whether he has to just go into shot making mode that might have to be the adjustment uh I have to do a better job you know getting our guys uh into their strength zones where we can still be aggressive and attack uh but hit different parts of our uh menu um and

We’ll get to work on that uh you know yes it’s it’s frustrating but um you know all we’re going to focus on is what we can do to get better and and have a great great road trip until those last three um jumpers that Reggie made seemed like bam was doing

About as well as you can possibly do in terms of blowing up their there’s no one better than the league that that can negotiate this first of all nobody will go toe-to-toe minute for minute against jic other than Bam Bam signs up for that and he’ll put himself

Out there and be vulnerable you know to the competition and that’s that’s the competitor of all competitors uh and you know that that just sets the tone but it is difficult you know you have to negotiate so many different things uh uh at the top of the floor in

The post you know they started to post them up a little bit more and then once you start getting comfortable with that go to the two-man action and then you have to do pick and roll basketball you know and then ball all of a sudden will

Go back to him and then now you have to play you know him off the dribble and uh and try to you know disrupt passing angles and and all that uh um you know but that’s why bam is Bam you know that’s why I always say year

After year he he should be in the consider consideration for defensive player of the year because he can do things and will put himself out there to try to do things that the majority of the league won’t because it’s easier just to not not do it not not you know

Because sometimes you’re going to get beat you know yic is is a great player and sometimes you’re going to get scored on or foul or uh you know you have play your pick and roll defense the ball goes back to him and he scores and somebody

Else didn’t do their job like there’s a lot of things that go into it um and they’re comp complex team you know you feel like you can you have a handle on them I mean we still hold held them to a hundred you feel like you have a handle

On them and then all of a sudden they can just separate and those skirmishes at this point they do that I think better than anybody else in the league

Mar. 13, 2024 – Erik Spoelstra speaks to the media following Thursday night’s game vs. the Denver Nuggets.

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