"The Play-In games are fun."
Just your typical Miami Heat mentality.
The team from South Beach lived up to its Zombie Heat reputation in the playoffs, as Miami eliminated the Chicago Bulls in the final West Play-In game on Saturday, 112-91.
They did that all even without star player Jimmy Butler, who has an MCL injury.
[ALSO READ: No Jimmy, no problem: Herro, Heat send Bulls packing anew, to meet Celtics in Round 1]
Fil-Am coach Erik Spoelstra shared to the media what he told the players upon reaching the playoffs.
"Forget about how we got here. It can be frustrating. It can feel that it sucks and we lost the first game. But it's getting past all that. We get to have an opportunity to have this game with competitive spirit and consequences. That's what all the guys in the locker room want. I wanted them to embrace it, to enjoy it, to be grateful to have a game like this," he said.
"It's not a pick-up game. It's not a game that doesn't have meaning. These are the games you think about, that you reflect later on. That's a lot of fun. These games are fun. The Play-In games are fun. I'd rather not be in the Play-In game, but they're fun," Spoelstra added.
Earned not given. pic.twitter.com/GVfIvo1fsW
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 20, 2024
Gratitude was a specific attitude he wanted his players to have--even if the Heat have been in the playoffs so many times before.
"I have an incredible appreciation for having an opportunity just to make the playoffs, an appreciation for the things you can't buy, the things you have to earn. We have to earn this. You can't influence it, you can't pay money for it. You have to actually collectively come together to earn it and we have to do it the hard way--just to get the ticket punched to the invitation to this dance."
The eighth-ranked Heat had to first absorb a 105-104 defeat to the seventh-ranked Philadelphia 76ers, as well as losing Jimmy Butler.
This time, it was Tyler Herro who stepped up against the ninth-ranked Bulls. He created 24 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists for Miami.
"Tyler is a competitor. He's always gonna give a great mindset. Somethings things are gonna go your way, sometimes they don't. How you respond to it, to the next opponnt, to the next challenge, I think that's what makes or breaks people in this league. And we needed that performance from him tonight, and he did it on all levels," Spoelstra said in his praise for Herro.
The coach also spoke of rookie Jaime Jaquez's improvement in defense, while pitching in 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
"We're grateful for that. We're gonna need all of that with Jimmy being out," Spoelstra noted.
The Miami Heat will take on top seed Boston Celtics in the first round--a replay of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals.
[ALSO READ: NBA Playoffs East Preview: Brunson vs. Embiid, Central division warfare, Spida takes on Paolo Banchero and more]
Game 1 will be on Monday, April 22, at 1 a.m. It will air live on Setanta Sport.
