標籤: Spoelstra

隨著邁阿密熱火隊準備連續第四次參加錦標賽，週日常規賽還剩一場對陣亞特蘭大老鷹隊的比賽，這可能會給他們帶來參加錦標賽的種子。當熱火隊希望克服自己的困境時，他們在周五以 140-117 擊敗華盛頓巫師隊後得到了一些緩解，陣容的改變可能是永久性的。

邁阿密隊人手不足，泰勒·赫羅、諾曼·鮑威爾和達維恩·米切爾沒有參加勝利，首發陣容包括韋爾、新秀卡斯帕拉斯·雅庫西奧尼斯和西蒙·豐泰奇奧。

這位二年級中鋒7投5中得到12分，三分球4投2中，外加8個籃板。這一變化將使他與巴姆·阿德巴約並肩作戰，這是球迷最喜歡的二人組。

隨著佩爾·拉爾森（Pelle Larsson）坐上替補席，主教練埃里克·斯波爾斯特拉（Erik Spoelstra）暗示他希望留下首發陣容中的韋爾。

「很多努力都是為了讓凱爾進入這個陣容，」斯波爾斯特拉在球隊的 YouTube 頁面上說道。 「凱爾對我們要做的事情非常重要。我們都知道他的優勢。這可以讓他僅次於巴姆 [Adebayo]，稍微穩定一下他就可以開始比賽了。隨著遊戲的進行，它為我們提供了一點靈活性。 」

「有時在過去幾周里，巴姆的一些陣容確實非常好，」斯波爾斯特拉繼續說道。 「然後我們最終會花更長的時間，而凱爾坐在板凳上的時間也會更長。他是我們的關鍵球員，所以這讓他能夠得到一些上場時間。”

隨後，邁阿密隊在東部排名第十，如果擊敗亞特蘭大老鷹隊，而夏洛特黃蜂隊輸給紐約尼克隊，那麼他們將排名第九，在附加賽第一場比賽中主場迎戰夏洛特黃蜂隊。

As the Miami Heat prepare to take on the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, the team is trying to bounce back from a heartbreaking 123-122 loss to the Houston Rockets on Saturday. As the Heat go through a tough four-game stretch, head coach Erik Spoelstra explains what the team is going through.

Miami’s loss to Houston saw the team blow a 12-point lead, but then surrendered what turned out to be a close game throughout the season, led by an impeccable night from Bam Adebayo, who recorded 32 points and 21 rebounds. Still, it came down to the final possession, in which Amen Thompson’s put-back basket won the game, adding to the “pain” the Heat were going through, as Spoelstra said.

“When you say you have to develop some patience, you have to go through it,” said Spoelstra, formerly of Axe, via Heat Central on Twitter. “When you feel like every possession matters, and part of the grit is that you have to go through some pain. So we’re going to go through some pain right now, and it’s going to steal us. It’s going to make us better, and we’ll focus on getting ready for a tough opponent on Monday.”

Coach Spo with more about finding his ‘grit’

“When you say you have to develop some patience you have to go through it. There are consequences. When you feel these types of emotions and realize that every asset matters. Part of the patience is that you have to go through some pain.… https://t.co/6EZBv3SFWq pic.twitter.com/pdsRdiGf4y

– Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) 22 March 2026

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on recovering from recent tough loss

As the Heat prepare for the playoffs, with the team struggling to get out of the play-in tournament, the goal now is to not let these tough losses get the roster down. However, a final game like the one against the Rockets would be a pity, as Adebayo made a great save on Kevin Durant, with Thompson running after the team for the put-back.

“Just stick with it,” Spoelstra said. “We’re talking about having collective composure, and we thought we showed that composure during the game… You just think about the karma of the game, we’ll find a way to get out of here with a win. Missed a block-out at the end. And Thompson had a great game.”

Who was at fault in the last match for Heat Nation to win??? pic.twitter.com/hawFEmz0wl

– Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) 22 March 2026

At any rate, Miami will be trying to snap its losing streak against a strong opponent on Monday in the Spurs.

迈阿密——迈阿密热火队试图在东部积分榜上的紧张局势中挺进季后赛，本赛季最后 13 场比赛的第一场比赛是在主场对阵洛杉矶湖人队和超级巨星勒布朗·詹姆斯。随着热火队未来面临艰难比赛的挑战，主教练埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉谈到了詹姆斯如何继续经受住时间的考验。

詹姆斯已经 41 岁了，这是他在 NBA 的第 23 个赛季，他几乎没有注意到他已经失去了一步，这为他作为 NBA 历史上顶级球员之一的传奇地位又增添了一个层次。除了表明詹姆斯是在德维恩·韦德和克里斯·波什的“三巨头”时代为迈阿密带来两个总冠军的重要组成部分之外。

斯波尔斯特拉显然是这些球队的主教练，他谈到詹姆斯如何“让父亲的时间地狱”。除了在迈阿密近距离目睹这一幕之外，当詹姆斯和他的队友在 2024 年巴黎奥运会上夺得金牌时，斯波斯特拉还以美国队助理教练的身份亲眼目睹了这一幕。

“你必须绝对尊重他的竞争精神，”斯波尔斯特拉在周四晚上热火对阵湖人之前说道。 “你知道，他不仅在与整个联盟竞争，而且在与时间之父竞争，他正在给时间之父带来地狱，他确实如此。你必须尊重这一点。”

“这并非偶然发生，”斯波尔斯特拉继续说道。 “显然，14 年前我就看到了他的很多习惯，但在美国周，你可以看到他对所有不同事情的专注程度，投篮、球员发展、举重和灵活性以及保持身体正确的一切。这令人印象深刻。他做了很多令人印象深刻的事情。”

埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉谈勒布朗·詹姆斯： #热力国家

“他正在与时间之父竞争，他正在给时间之父带来地狱……” pic.twitter.com/4zxIixr6PP

— 扎卡里·温伯格 (@ZachWeinberger) 2026 年 3 月 19 日

LeBron James warming up before tonight’s game against the Heat: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/WN642MMDsd

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) March 19, 2026

热火队的埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉表示勒布朗·詹姆斯还可以再打十年

这并不是热火队主教练斯波尔斯特拉第一次赞扬詹姆斯，每次这位球星回到迈阿密迎战他的老东家时，这种情况都是很常见的。无论体育界想知道詹姆斯何时退役，斯波尔斯特拉相信，如果他愿意，他可以再打“十年”篮球。

“身材、力量和智商。他可以凭借自己的体格和照顾自己的方式做到他所做的事情，”斯波尔斯特拉在 2024 年 12 月 4 日说道。“他不必成为地球上最好的运动员。他曾经是。我们不是在谈论协会中最好的运动员，他是地球上最好的运动员，可以说，只是身材、力量、敏捷性、爆发力，所有这些东西，敏捷性结合在一起，但在这样的体型下，如果他只是想放慢比赛速度，只靠他的大脑和智商来比赛，你知道，他可以再做十年，我怀疑他会对此感兴趣，但他可以。

更多关于埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉谈论勒布朗·詹姆斯以及他如何在他的年龄仍然表现出色。 #热力国家 pic.twitter.com/jJ1OUGRaas

— 扎卡里·温伯格 (@ZachWeinberger) 2024 年 12 月 4 日

无论如何，谁知道周四晚上在卡塞亚中心举行的比赛是否会是詹姆斯在迈阿密的最后一次比赛，但不可否认的是，球迷们会记住这位超级巨星从 2011 年到 2014 年带领球队连续四次闯入 NBA 总决赛。除此之外，斯波尔斯特拉还希望击败詹姆斯、湖人队以及任何其他阻碍热火队的球队，因为热火队在周四对阵洛杉矶队的比赛中战绩为 38 胜 31 负，排名东部第七。

MIAMI – The Miami Heat are trying to make a playoff run with 12 games left in the season after Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, with the team still dealing with injuries to key players like Jaime Jacquez Jr. and Andrew Wiggins. As the Heat prepare for the matchup to end the season, head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke on the updates he has for both impact players as the team looks to solidify their spot in the Eastern Conference.

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra provides update on Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jacquez Jr.

Starting with Wiggins, facing the Lakers on Thursday marks the seventh consecutive contest the veteran forward has missed as he deals with an injury listed as “Left Big Toe; Sesamoiditis.” Wiggins is a mainstay in Miami’s starting lineup, providing the team with a consistent two-way effort that works well offensively with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and others.

This season, Wiggins is averaging 15.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 47.4 percent from the field. In his absence, Spoelstra would say the team is “encouraged” by Wiggins’ recovery process.

“He’s making progress, he’s not ready to go tonight. He’s still got a ways to go, but we’re encouraged by the progress he’s made over the last few days,” Spoelstra said before the Heat took on the Lakers.

As for Jaquez, he will be listed for Thursday’s game due to “left hip tightness,” a problem sustained during Tuesday’s 136-106 loss to the Charlotte Hornets in Miami. His importance cannot be underestimated as Jacquez has been one of the leading candidates for Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 15 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, while shooting 50 percent from the field.

Spoelstra would say he’ll be labeled “day-to-day.”

“It happened in the game, but he’s already had a lot of treatment. He’s starting to feel better. So take it day by day,” Spoelstra said.

Erik Spoelstra speaks on the injuries to Jaime Jacquez Jr. and Andrew Wiggins, who are both out.

Jaime’s hip problem remained in Tuesday’s game, “day-to-day.”

Spoe ‘encouraged’ by Wiggins’ recovery from toe injury. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/fatxq1ROvJ

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 19 March 2026

Erik Spoelstra on “big test” for the Heat

While the Heat absolutely want to see how well they can operate before the postseason, the team may not get enough time to see what a fully healthy Miami team looks like. Since there will be 12 games after the Lakers contest, it cannot be said for sure when Wiggins will return with Jacquez, making it difficult to evaluate the team.

Either way, Spoelstra told ClutchPoints that the “big test” is overcoming the home stretch of the season against other teams that have similar goals.

“I mean, the big test is, you know, how we raise our game and spirit and level of competition against teams that are playing for something, at least in our near future,” Spoelstra said. “And, you know, that’s when people say they’ve always wanted that, and now we have it. But we always say it’s just for the competitors, and other teams, you know, competing and bringing their best game. So it’s just a matter of facing that level of competition and finding a way to get to another level.”

Erik Spoelstra was asked if these final 13 games of the season will show how this team can really work or whether injuries are keeping it from getting a look: #HeatNation

“The big test is how we raise our game, spirit and level of competition…” pic.twitter.com/LRfHe3QmZh

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 19 March 2026

At any rate, Miami looks to take the remaining games remaining in the regular season and accomplish the goal they are striving for, which is to avoid the play-in tournament. After being in the tournament for the last three seasons and finishing as the eighth seed, the Heat are looking to move up to at least sixth place.

Entering Thursday against the Lakers, Miami is 38-31, in seventh place in the East, just a half-game behind the Orlando Magic, who hold the coveted sixth spot.

MIAMI – The Miami Heat are attempting to reach the playoffs in a tight Eastern Conference standings, with the first game of the season’s final 13 at home against the Los Angeles Lakers and superstar LeBron James. With the Heat facing tough games ahead, head coach Erik Spoelstra explained how James is standing the test of time.

James is 41 years old, in his 23rd season in the NBA, and it’s barely noticeable that he’s lost a step, adding another level to his already legendary status as one of the top players in NBA history. In addition to demonstrating that James was a key part in bringing two championships to Miami along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh during the “Big 3” era.

Spoelstra was apparently the head coach of those teams, as he described how James was “giving Father Time hell.” In addition to watching closely from his time in Miami, Spoestra also watched as Team USA’s assistant coach as James and Co. earned a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“You just have to have total respect for his level of competitiveness,” Spoelstra said before the Heat played the Lakers on Thursday night. “You know, he’s not only competing against the entire league, but he’s competing against Father Time, and he’s giving Father Time hell, he really is. And you have to respect that.”

“This doesn’t happen by accident,” Spoelstra continued. “I obviously saw a lot of his habits 14 years ago, but then at the USA weeks, you could see how dedicated he was to all the different things, shooting, player development, but also lifting and mobility and everything to keep his body right. It was impressive. He’s doing a lot of impressive things.”

Erik Spoelstra on LeBron James: #HeatNation

“He’s competing against Father Time and he’s making Father Time hell…” pic.twitter.com/4zxIixr6PP

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 19 March 2026

LeBron James warming up before tonight’s game against the Heat: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/WN642MMDsd

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) March 19, 2026

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra says LeBron James could play another decade

This is not the first time that the Heat’s head coach in Spoelstra has praised James, it is a common occurrence every time the star has returned to Miami to take on his former team. Even if the sports world wonders when James will retire, Spoelstra believes he can play basketball for the next “decade” if he wants to.

“Size, strength and IQ. What he can do with his body and the way he takes care of himself,” Spoelstra said on December 4, 2024. United, but at this size, and if he wants to slow the game down and just play, you know, away from his brain and IQ, he can do that for another decade, I doubt he’ll find the interest in it, but he can.

Talking more about Erik Spoelstra and more about LeBron James and how he still excels at this age. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/jJ1OUGRaas

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 4th December 2024

At any rate, who knows if Thursday night at the Cascade Center will be the last time James plays in Miami, but it can’t be denied that fans will remember the superstar who led the team to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances from 2011-2014. Additionally, Spoelstra is trying to defeat James, the Lakers and any other team that stands in the way of the Heat as they sit 38-31, seventh in the East, entering Thursday’s game against Los Angeles.

菲律宾人的血统在这一点上很浓厚。

迈阿密热火队教练埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉和网球明星亚历克斯·埃拉在后者重返迈阿密公开赛之前在南海滩再次联手。

埃拉周一在卡塞亚中心拜访了斯波尔斯特拉，距离他们第一次见面已经过去三年了。埃拉第一次亲自观看 NBA 比赛是在 2023 年迈阿密热火队击败纽约尼克斯队时。自从斯波尔斯特拉在那场比赛中取得职业生涯第 700 场胜利以来，这显得尤为特别。

从那时起，似乎人才不断渗透，20岁的埃拉在排名中稳步上升，包括在去年迈阿密公开赛的四分之一决赛中击败世界排名第二的伊加·斯瓦泰克。

热火队在 Instagram 上发布了斯波尔斯特拉和埃拉（现世界排名第 29 名）的重聚。

“只有两个强队代表菲律宾参加最高级别的比赛。祝迈阿密公开赛好运，@alex.eala，”标题写道。

球迷们很高兴看到这位传奇教练和这位网球明星因共同的血统而结下不解之缘。

“当两位深受喜爱的菲律宾名人在体育比赛中相遇时，真是太温馨了😍❤️，”@britannycarandang 说道。

“他们再次见面。斯波教练欠你，亚历克斯。他说如果你明年回来，他会观看你的比赛，”@albertclydearandia 指出。

“菲律宾人的骄傲！”添加了@miacorsiga。

“哇！飞得很高，亚历克斯！”发布@kitty_jandi。

“精英链接，”@danielscales1 评论道。

“这是我的品牌！🔥，”@jge_____ 写道。

除了斯瓦泰克之外，埃拉还在去年的迈阿密公开赛上击败了麦迪逊·凯斯和耶莱娜·奥斯塔彭科，宣告了她在WTA巡回赛上的突破。

她还在2025年美国公开赛击败克拉拉·陶森后，成为第一位在大满贯正赛中获胜的菲律宾人，创造了历史。

与此同时，斯波尔斯特拉带领热火队三夺总冠军。他们在过去 10 场比赛中取得了 7 胜 3 负的战绩，并将在周二对阵夏洛特黄蜂队。

MIAMI – As the buzz around the Miami Heat is that Bam Adebayo scored a historic 83 points against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, there are a lot of positives to take away as the team enters Saturday on a seven-game winning streak. The Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday after Adebayo scored 83 points, with second-year guard Pelle Larsson leading the team on a career night.

Spoelstra said before the game that after Adebayo scored 83 points, that type of outing is likely to motivate the players in the locker room to step up. What Larsson did on Thursday is really impressing all season long, being a mainstay in the starting lineup as Saturday marks his 44th chance to start a game against the Magic.

On Thursday against the Bucks, Larsson scored a career-high 28 points on nine of 14 from the field, two of three from deep, six rebounds and six assists. He even hit the three that put Milwaukee out of the game, which shows how “reliable” he is, as Erik Spoelstra reiterated.

“He’s gaining more trust and confidence as the season goes on. Now. He’s been really reliable from day one. There was a huge leap of improvement last year,” Spoelstra told ClutchPoints. “I would say the last six weeks of the season, and then going into the summer, led them to have a great training camp in the preseason.”

“And then from there, you know, he just kept forcing us to play him,” Spoelstra continued. “You know, he’s coming off the bench or starting. It doesn’t matter. He’s just got to be on the court because he does a lot of winning things. And then, you know, his work ethic is also helping him improve his offensive skill set, which he saw the other night. And then now, you know, that’s the last element of getting a lot of confidence from the game and playing well.”

Asked Erik Spoelstra about Pelle Larsson and whether he was a surprise to see his jump in Year 2.

“He’s been really reliable from day one, with a big leap in improvement in the last six weeks of the season last year…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/zdQBwUJWno

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 14 March 2026

Heat’s Pelle Larsson talks career night after Bam Adebayo’s special game

While the Heat were dealing with an emotional night in which Adebayo made history Tuesday by recording 83 points, the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, the next game on Thursday could have been a trap game. This could have been a frustrating game for Miami as their emotional batteries were not recharged, but it was Larsson who led the team to an eventual victory.

Larsson excelled with his physical ability in creating driving lanes and gaining advantages at the rim, even showcasing his playmaking ability and being active on both sides of the ball. The leap from a dependable player to a former second-round pick has been fun for fans, however Thursday had a different feeling as the 25-year-old entered clutchpoints.

“Yeah, it’s weird, because, like, what we experienced was so out of the ordinary that it was hard to get out of it, the dream, kind of say,” Larson said, referencing Adebayo’s 83-point game. “But very quickly we got into the game, at full speed, at full speed, and then it was easier to play hard and then try to win.”

Pelle Larsson was asked about being one of the players moving forward after Bam Adebayo’s 83-point night, tying for his career night.

“It’s a bit strange because what we experienced was so different from the norm that it was difficult to get over it…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/BEzfIl9VmN

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 13 March 2026

Heat’s Bam Adebayo yells out to teammates at a game after 83-point night

While Larsson led the way for Miami on Thursday, rookie and 19-year-old Kasparus Jacusionis were the other beneficiaries, continuing to show flashes as he scored 18 points on six of 12 shooting from the field, five of 11 from deep, to go with seven rebounds. Adebayo will praise two young players for stepping up.

“Man, I’m thankful for my guys,” Adebayo said after the win over the Bucks. He recorded 21 points and eight rebounds after an 83-point night. “They stepped up massively, especially Pell [Larsson]especially kas [Jakucionis]. They were aggressive, and they were being vocal. They’re open, they’re shooting it, or they’re running it; They’re making the right plays.”

“That’s the thing about our offense. Anybody can cook it. And, you know, tonight it was like Pell and Cass and me in the fourth, I turned it on. But that’s the thing about our offense, man. It’s one of those things, like, you go to jail by sharing the ball, and it makes it harder for the other team,” Adebayo continued.

Bam Adebayo was asked about his 83-point performance, which led Pelle Larsson and Kaspars Jaksionis:

“Man, I’m grateful to my guys. They stepped up in a big way, especially Pele, especially Kass. They were aggressive and they were being vocal…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/0LAukBgnIa

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 13 March 2026

At any rate, the Heat are expecting massive contributions from Larsson and others as the team heads into the home stretch of the season.

SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr couldn’t believe the buzz surrounding Bam Adebayo’s historic 83-point game against the Washington Wizards, the second-most in NBA history.

“Is this a thing? People aren’t giving him credit for scoring 83.” [points]Kerr asked the room when told that a good portion of fans, reporters and analysts across the league have vilified Adebayo, the Miami Heat and the way Erik Spoelstra got to that incredible feat.

Amid the discussion surrounding Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game, Steve Kerr echoed Erik Spoelstra’s comments:

“I respect what Spo said. There’s no need to apologize, he was doing it for his team and I respect that.”

Explained how he left Klay Thompson to chase 14 threes in 2018. pic.twitter.com/WjhZCnjzCU

– Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) 14 March 2026

Opponents have cited Adebayo’s record-breaking 43 free throws, the way the Heat fouled the Wizards to get the ball back, and the fact that Spoelstra left his man in a blowout game to chase the record, as reasons why Adebayo’s 83 points should come with an asterisk. But it seems like Kerr is on the other side of the discussion, as he had nothing but praise for the player he coached during the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.

“It’s pretty amazing. I mean, what an incredible accomplishment,” Kerr said. “And he’s not even really a scorer. He’s an incredible player. But he wouldn’t be top of mind to score that many points. So just feels like a bizarre evening. I didn’t watch the game, we were playing so I saw some of the high highlights, but it was one of those physical experiences, and it seemed like the team was totally engaged and enjoying it.”

Steve Kerr supports Adebayo and Spoelstra’s defense

In recent days, since the historic night, Adebayo and Spoelstra have been dogged by questions about the ethics of the strategies they employed to help Adebayo score 83 points.

Adebayo called the haters “sofa coaches” and defended his performance.

“If you get that close to chasing greatness, that’s the point of chasing it, so you can overcome it,” Adebayo said. “And some people have never played basketball.”

Meanwhile, Spoelstra strongly supported Adebayo, calling out detractors in a lengthy response to the Miami media.

“I think most of the people who probably made comments didn’t watch the game. It’s ‘irresponsible’ or ‘immoral,'” Spoelstra said. “And I would do it again 10 times out of 10 for Bam, I’m not apologizing to anyone about that.”

Spoelstra won’t have to apologize to Kerr because the Dubs coached his longtime friend and coaching contemporary.

“I think every coach has to face that — himself and his own circumstances,” Kerr said. “I think the whole team was pleading to keep Spo [Adebayo] Out there. And it’s really tricky. As a coach, you may feel awkward.”

Steve Kerr references his feelings

Kerr recalled a similar experience to Spoelstra and Adebayor, when he passed Klay Thompson against the Chicago Bulls to set the record for most 3-pointers in a game on October 29, 2018.

With the Warriors up by 41 with 4:53 left in the third quarter, Thompson hit his 14th triple to tie the record. But before that point, Kerr had dismissed all the starters and left Thompson to chase the feat. But that pursuit led to shot-chucking, a context lost over time, as Thompson missed four consecutive 3-pointers in the process.

“I let him go because I wanted him to get the record,” Kerr said. “The team wanted him to get the record. And it was a little weird, sure, I felt bad that he was launching shots. Luckily, he made one. I think he missed his first three quarters, and he was just launching every time, and he made his fourth. And I couldn’t get him out fast enough. But it worked out. Everybody was happy, but yeah, it’s weird. There’s a lot of mouths to feed, a lot of people to think about in those situations. Are.”

With Kerr’s experience with record-chasing players and teams, he had no trouble with Spoelstra’s defense.

“But I respect what Spo said. There’s no need to apologize. He was doing it for his team and I respect that.”

MIAMI – After Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo had his 83-point game on Tuesday night, there was no denying how this performance would be immortalized in NBA history. As the sports world debates whether or not the Heat captain’s 83-point night was unethical, no one can take away from Adebayo’s special night for the positives it could have on its lasting impact on the team.

Adebayo will break franchise records and reach major milestones, but what matters most is that his 83 points on Tuesday against the Washington Wizards surpassed Kobe Bryant’s 81 points, giving him the second-highest scoring game ever.

The loss meant the win dropped them to sixth place in the Eastern Conference, eliminating them from the play-in tournament for the time being, although they head into Thursday’s contest against the Milwaukee Bucks with 16 games left in the season. The outcome of even one game could impact the standings, with Miami holding just a half-game lead over the seventh-seeded Toronto Raptors.

If there’s one of many things that Adebayo can do to score 83 points in a game, it’s to inspire the team to greener pastures ahead, as head coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned.

“It was motivation the other night. And maybe motivation needs to be motivating tonight,” Spoelstra said. “So maybe there will be some X factors.”

“The situation we’re in right now, it’s not going to happen unless we create the environment for that game,” Spoelstra added. “Bam set the tone with his energy and will in that first quarter, and that type of energy and effort and motivation, maybe it comes from him, but maybe it comes from a lot of other players who inspire effort in any other game that means just as much in the standings.”

Erik Spoelstra is on the team and Bam Adebayo is now focused on the games and season ahead: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/NzEKbgH8De

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 12 March 2026

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on the ethics of Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game

While the big man’s night was special in every imaginable way, some were complaining about the Heat’s Adebayo the way he scored 83 points, whether it was the massive amount of free throws and intentional fouling in the fourth quarter.

Some have cited Spoelstra as one of the main reasons for questions about the “ethics” of the performance. As for Spoelstra, he stood ten feet down on the outing and said, “I’m not apologizing to anyone.”

Asked about the word ‘ethics’ being thrown around in criticism, Spoelstra told ClutchPoints, “I’m not losing any sleep over what other people are saying about it.” “What’s ethical? What’s not? Is it ethical to foul a three-point shooter? Is that ethical or not? Is it ethical to foul a bad free-throw shooter and get an extra possession, you know or not? Like all these things happened in under two minutes, he had already broken a lot of records, and we’re going to go for it. It was an amazing moment to be a part of that.”

“And I would do it again 10 times out of 10 for Bam,” Spoelstra continued. “I feel very good for Bam, because he’s about all the right things.”

Erik Spoelstra was asked about critics questioning the “ethics” of Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game.

“I don’t care…I would do it again 10 times out of 10…I think most people who probably made comments didn’t see that it was irresponsible or unethical…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/6iBMAi1P0A

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 12 March 2026

At any rate, Adebayo’s historic 83-point night has immortalized him in history as one that will always be remembered, no matter how the discourse looks. In terms of boosting Miami’s playoff run, the team looks to take advantage of this, as after Thursday against the Bucks, the Heat will face the Orlando Magic on Saturday night in an important matchup.

迈阿密——迈阿密热火队球星巴姆·阿德巴约在球队以 150-128 战胜华盛顿奇才队的比赛中拿下 83 分，创造了 NBA 历史，超越科比·布莱恩特的 81 分，成为历史第二高得分比赛，但人们的讨论却两极分化。随着 NBA 世界对热火队长 83 分之夜的反应，也出现了一些阻力，有人说比赛旁边应该有一个星号，有人则质疑道德，这得到了主教练埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉的回应。

不可否认，阿德巴约度过了一个特别的夜晚，他在华盛顿队的统治级表现中拿下 83 分，将自己的名字铭刻在 NBA 历史上，其程度是前所未见的。然而，人们指出了43次罚球、球队故意犯规以获得更多控球权以及其他破坏夜晚的情况。

如果有一个词在社交媒体上流传，将阿德巴约的比赛与 2006 年科比的比赛进行比较，有人会说其中一个比另一个更“道德”。对于斯波尔斯特拉来说，许多就此事发声的人并没有关注历史，称这本身就是“不道德的”。

“我认为大多数可能发表评论的人都没有观看比赛，这是不负责任或不道德的，”斯波尔斯特拉对 ClutchPoints 说道。 “你甚至不了解比赛的背景，就像这是一场 13 分的比赛。我记得在我叫了暂停后回到了人群中，然后 [Assistant coach Chris Quinn] 说，“嘿，我们必须赢得这场比赛，就像我们在追逐什么东西一样，这很棒，但我们必须赢得这场比赛。”

“这是一场 13 分的比赛，有 9 分，还有机会，然后砰的一声，我们连续投进三个三分……然后他的总得分继续上升。如果你想说的话，我想说，一切都相当传统，直到最后两分钟，然后我们可以在这两分钟内自主地做任何我们想做的事情，无论人们认为这是纯粹的还是道德的。对于巴姆、这支球队和这座城市来说，这是多么壮观的时刻。”

问埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉（Erik Spoelstra）关于批评者质疑巴姆·阿德巴约（Bam Adebayo）83分比赛的“道德”的问题。

“我不在乎……我会再做十次就有十次……我想大多数可能发表评论的人都没有看，这是不负责任或不道德的……” #热力国家 pic.twitter.com/6iBMAi1P0A

— 扎卡里·温伯格 (@ZachWeinberger) 2026 年 3 月 12 日

热火队球员埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉：“我不会向任何人道歉”

周二晚上的言论五花八门，《The Athletic》的一名记者萨姆·阿米克甚至表示，热火中锋阿德巴约应该在打破科比的记录之前退出比赛，以尊重他的遗产。在可预见的未来，这种讨论仍将继续，斯波尔斯特拉将加倍努力，帮助阿德巴约创造协会历史。

“我不在乎，我不会因为别人的言论而失眠，”斯波尔斯特拉说道。 “什么是道德的？什么是不道德的？对三分射手犯规吗？这是否道德？对一个糟糕的罚球手犯规并获得额外的财产，你知道与否？就像所有这些事情发生在两分钟之内，他已经打破了一系列记录，我们将继续努力。成为其中的一部分真是一个奇妙的时刻。”

“如果再为巴姆做这件事，十次中有十次我会这么做，我不会为此向任何人道歉，”斯波尔斯特拉继续说道。 “我为巴姆感到太棒了，因为他所做的一切都是正确的，你知道。在我们的演练中，他已经在谈论防守了，我们必须让我们的防守做好今晚摇滚的准备。但作为一名领导者，那天晚上，你知道，为了为那场比赛定下基调，那些比赛可能会很棘手。我认为这是领导力的化身，然后它就从那里开始了，它就像滚下山的雪球一样。”

随着人们对效率的质疑，这可能更证明有些人没有关注比赛，阿德巴约在第一节拿下 31 分，上半场拿下 43 分，投篮命中率为 54% (13/24)，三分命中率为 45% (5/11)。

整个三节比赛中，他投篮命中率为 49%（17/35），命中率达到 62 分，最后一帧成为了罚球者的亮点，尽管奇才队的防守很差，无法阻止阿德巴约。无论如何，没有人可以从阿德巴约那里得知，他已经巩固了自己在伟大球员中的地位，因为他希望带领迈阿密队进入周四对阵密尔沃基雄鹿队及其他球队的比赛。

MIAMI – As Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo made NBA history by scoring 83 points in the team’s 150-128 win over the Washington Wizards, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s 81 for the second-highest scoring game ever, the conversation is polarizing. With the NBA world reacting to the Heat captain’s 83-point night, with some saying there should be an asterisk next to the game and others questioning the ethics, came head coach Erik Spoelstra’s response.

There was no denying a special night for Adebayo, who etched his name in the annals of NBA history by scoring 83 points, capping a dominant performance by Washington that few had seen before. However, people have pointed to the 43 free-throw attempts, the team intentionally committing fouls to gain more possession, and other examples of a lackluster night.

If there’s one word that’s been floating around on social media about comparing Adebayo’s game to Bryant’s game in 2006, it’s that some people say one word is more “ethical” than the other. For Spoelstra, those who have raised their voices on the matter did not take into account history and said that this in itself is “immoral”.

“I think most of the people who probably made comments didn’t watch the game, it’s irresponsible or unethical,” Spoelstra told ClutchPoints. “You don’t even understand the context of the game, like it was a 13-point game. I remember going back into the huddle after the timeout, and [Assistant coach Chris Quinn] Said, “‘Hey, we’ve got to win this game, like we’re chasing something, and that’s great, but we’ve got to win this game.'”

“It was a 13-point game with nine more turnovers, and then bang, we hit three threes in a row… and then his total kept going up. Everything, I would say, was pretty traditional, if you want to say that, until it was the last two minutes, and then we have the autonomy to do whatever we want in those two minutes, whether people think it’s pure or moral or not. Bam and what a great moment it is for this franchise and the city.”

Erik Spoelstra was asked about critics questioning the “ethics” of Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game.

“I don’t care…I would do it again 10 times out of 10…I think most people who probably made comments didn’t see that it was irresponsible or unethical…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/6iBMAi1P0A

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 12 March 2026

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra: ‘I’m not apologizing to anyone’

Opinions coming from Tuesday night were all over the place, with one reporter, Sam Amick of The Athletic, even saying that the Heat center in Adebayo should have taken out the game before breaking Bryant’s mark to honor his legacy. As negotiations continue in the near future, Spoelstra has doubled down on his actions to help Adebayo achieve association history.

“I don’t care, I’m not losing sleep over what other people are saying about it,” Spoelstra said. “What’s ethical? What’s not? Is it ethical to foul a three-point shooter? Is that ethical or not? Is it ethical to foul a bad free-throw shooter and get an extra possession, you know or not? Like all these things happened in under two minutes, he had already broken a lot of records, and we’re going to go for it. It was an amazing moment to be a part of that.”

“And I would do it again 10 times out of 10 for Bam, I’m not apologizing to anybody about that,” Spoelstra added. “I feel great for Bam, because he’s about all the right things, you know. And already in our walkthrough, he’s talking about defense, and we’ve got to prepare our defense to rock tonight. But as a leader, the other night, you know, to set the tone for that game, they can be tough games. I thought it was the leadership personality, and then it went on steroids from there, and it just went off the hill. Became a snowball rolling down.”

With people questioning efficiency, this may have been more evidence that some people weren’t following the game, as Adebayo scored 31 points in the first quarter, 43 in the first half, shooting 54 percent from the field (13/24), 45 percent from deep (5/11).

Over the course of three quarters, he scored 62 points (17/35) on 49 percent shooting from the field, with the final frame being the highlight of those free throws, although Washington’s defense was poor and unable to stop Adebayo. At any rate, no one can take away from Adebayo that he has solidified himself among the greats as he looks to lead Miami into Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks and beyond.

对于迈阿密热火队，尤其是巴姆·阿德巴约来说，这是一个具有历史意义的夜晚。对阵华盛顿奇才队，他拿下83分， 超越后期 科比·布莱恩特 NBA 比赛中得分第二高的球员。

这一刻立即在所有人中疯传 NBA 中有谁在庆祝。勒布朗·詹姆斯和德克·诺维茨基就是其中之一。另外，阿德巴约的未婚妻，拉斯维加斯王牌队的阿贾·威尔逊， 就在场边 庆祝这一壮举。

赛后，阿德巴约 花了时间庆祝 与热火队主教练埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉 (Erik Spoelstra) 合影，据《SM 亮点》报道。当阿德巴约离开球场时，斯波尔斯特拉张开双臂等待他，并给了他一个大大的拥抱。

巴姆·阿德巴约 (Bam Adebayo) 在打出 83 杆后给了主教练埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉 (Erik Spoelstra) 一个大大的赞，这就是爱。

❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/PR48GY7ZrK

— SM 亮点 (@SMHighlights1) 2026 年 3 月 11 日

在打破科比纪录之前，阿德巴约 超越勒布朗·詹姆斯创下的61分纪录，热火队球员在一场比赛中得分最高。最终，热火队以150-129击败弱旅华盛顿奇才队。

总的来说，阿德巴约43投20中，三分线22投7中，罚球线43投36中。

此外，阿德巴约场均贡献18.9分。 2006年1月22日，科比·布莱恩特在洛杉矶湖人队与多伦多猛龙队的比赛中拿下81分。他46投28中，三分线13投7中，罚球线20投18中。

NBA 比赛中得分最高的是 1962 年 3 月的威尔特·张伯伦 (Wilt Chamberlain)。那天，在宾夕法尼亚州的赫尔希，张伯伦和他的费城勇士队正在对阵纽约尼克斯队。

张伯伦总共63投36中，罚球32投28中。勇士队以169-147获胜。

这一刻至今仍是 NBA 个人卓越表现的标杆。

从 2017-18 NBA 赛季开始，阿德巴约已经在热火队效力了九个赛季。

It was a historic night for the Miami Heat and especially Bam Adebayo. He scored 83 points against the Washington Wizards. moving forward late Kobe Bryant For scoring the second most points in an NBA game.

This was a moment that instantly went viral with no Who’s celebrating in the NBA?. They also include LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki. Also, Adebayo’s fiancée, Aja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, was right there in the court Celebrating achievement.

After the game, Adebayo took time to celebrate With Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, according to SM Highlights. As Adebayo came off the floor, Spoelstra was waiting for him with open arms and he gave him a big hug.

Bam Adebayo gave his head coach Erik Spoelstra a big gift after the 83-run loss, it’s love.

❤️ ❤️ pic.twitter.com/PR48GY7ZrK

– SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) 11 March 2026

Adebayo before breaking Kobe’s record Surpasses LeBron James’ mark of 61 pointsMost points scored by a Heat player in a game. In the end, the Heat defeated the weak Washington Wizards 150–129.

Overall, Adebayo was 20 of 43 from the field, 7 of 22 at the 3-point line, and 36 of 43 at the foul line.

Furthermore, Adebayo is averaging 18.9 points per game. On January 22, 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors. He was 28 of 46 from the field, 7 of 13 at the 3-point line and 18 of 20 at the foul line.

The most points in an NBA game were scored by Wilt Chamberlain in March 1962. That day, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Chamberlain and his Philadelphia Warriors were playing the New York Knicks.

Overall, Chamberlain was 36 of 63 from the field and 28 of 32 from the free throw line. The Warriors won 169–147.

It was a moment that still remains the standard for NBA individual excellence.

Adebayo has been with the Heat for nine seasons, beginning with the 2017–18 NBA season.

MIAMI – With Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo in the midst of a dominant stretch in an effort to lead his team out of the play-in tournament, his name has always been mentioned as one of the NBA’s premier defenders. Although Adebayo is reaching milestones for the Heat, Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) is an honor that has eluded him, with head coach Erik Spoelstra claiming to have won it this season.

While no one doubts Adebayo’s elite defensive ability, there is likely a belief that San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wambenyama is the favorite. For Spoelstra, what helps garner recognition for various league honors is winning games, as he believes is the case for Adebayo, who sees it as a “two-man race” for DPOY.

With San Antonio finishing second in the West with a 47–17 record, Wembanyama’s impact cannot be denied on both sides of the ball, especially on defense. Spoelstra believes it depends on “what flavor” one prefers, which makes the case for both defensive ‘unicorns’.

“These next six weeks, if we can really defend the same way we’ve been defending the last month, I think it’s a two-man race for Defensive Player of the Year. I think that’s the flavor you have,” Spoelstra told ClutchPoints.

Spoelstra continued, “They’ve won at an extremely high level, San Antonio, and their defense has consistently been a notch above our defense, but we’re starting to catch them in that.” “But it just depends on what flavor you like, a unicorn shot blocker that completely changes everything in the paint, or a unicorn one-through-five that no one can scheme in this league. And that performance, you know, has a real unique ability to impact the game defensively.”

Erik Spoelstra was asked about Jaime Jacquez Jr.’s 6MOY chances and if winning has an impact, he would say he should be a winner and the conversation turns to the W.

I’ll mention the same about Bam Adebayo and how it could be a two-man race for DPOY with Wembley. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/8ORCzHkhZu

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 10 March 2026

The Heat’s Jaime Jacquez Jr. is also up for an award

Young Heat star Jaime Jaquez Jr. is another player who has improved and is primed for the award, as he has been one of the leading names for Sixth Man of the Year. However, the buzz and respect surrounding him has fluctuated, as after being the favorite in the early parts of the season, he is now behind a few names like Minnesota Timberwolves’ Naz Reed and Houston Rockets’ Reed Shepard, via BetMGM.

Now, with Miami hitting its stride and Jaquez continuing his impressive year after a sophomore slump last season, Spoelstra believes he should win the award, and wins are also a factor to consider.

“I think he should be Sixth Man of the Year,” Spoelsta told ClutchPoints. “I think when we were around .500, no one was paying attention, I think at the beginning of the year, everyone was talking about it. And my point for the team is, all of a sudden we’re not winning at a high level, no one is paying attention to it, and other people are being cited for it. And then all of a sudden, we’re just starting to win again.”

“We’re just not winning enough right now,” Spoelstra added. “But if we keep it going, I think they’ll naturally get recognition for it.”

At any rate, it remains to be seen whether Adebayo or Jacquez will win the awards they are in the running for, but the main goal is to continue winning games, as entering Tuesday’s game against the Washington Wizards, the Heat are 36-29, in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

After the Miami Heat’s dominant win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, the team made a quick turnaround for an important game on Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets, who were two games behind them in the Eastern Conference standings. However, the Heat would come out on top against the Hornets in a 128–120 victory on the road, as head coach Erik Spoelstra explained the result.

There’s no denying how dominant Charlotte was playing before Friday night, winning six games in a row and going 16-9 in their last 25 contests. Nevertheless, Miami would get an important win in a high-pressure situation, which was an issue for the team, making the win “satisfying” for Spoelstra.

“It was really gratifying to see our guys react in these pressure moments,” Spoelstra said via the team’s YouTube page. “Our game is trending really well on both ends of the court. Our defense is becoming more consistent.”

“I really want our guys to have these types of moments, I’ve been saying that for the last month,” Spoelstra added. “It’s the best time of the year. We feel like our game is running so great on both ends of the court. Our defense is getting more consistent. You see the effort, and you see more guys making an impact. And then offensively, since the start of the new year we’ve felt like our offense has been running in a good way.”

Coach Spo on tonight’s win:

“I really want our players to have moments like this. That’s what I’ve been saying for the last month. This is the best time of the year. We feel like our game has been trending so great on both ends of the court… Now it’s about these… pic.twitter.com/NoxEBuWdU7

– Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) 7 March 2026

Heat overcomes high pressure conditions

With the Heat preparing to advance to the playoffs, Friday night’s win showed the team is playing up to its potential, despite the team being without key players like Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell, their leading scorers.

It was Miami’s longtime duo of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro (who had a game-high 33 points) who led the way, especially in the final period, though there were contributions from a number of guys like Kel’El Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Drew Smith and others.

“It was a big win … felt like a playoff game. It’s good to see Charlotte come from behind a team like that, the whole crowd, that kind of intensity … it was very physical today, which we eliminated,” Adebayo said after recording 24 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.

Bam says tonight’s matchup vs. the Hornets felt like a playoff game:

“It was a big win – felt like a playoff game. It’s good to see Charlotte come from behind a team like that, the whole crowd, that kind of intensity… It was very physical today that we overcame.”

(Via Miami Heat… https://t.co/a1niCxC7rY pic.twitter.com/1CuKYApcNn

– Heating Zone (@WadexFlash) 7 March 2026

Spoelsta will be pushing for the Heat to get a game and win like Friday’s game in Charlotte, as the atmosphere was mild, giving it a playoff atmosphere, as Adebayo mentioned. At any rate, the Heat (35-29, seventh in the East) are at home for the next 10 days, though Sunday is going to be a tough game with the Detroit Pistons coming to town.

Kasparus Jakusionis has been playing a valuable role with the Miami Heat during his rookie season. After a ball-dominant freshman season at Illinois, the No. 20 pick’s dramatic shooting improvement has allowed him to catch up with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and others.

After shooting 31.8 percent from three with Illinois, Jacusionis is shooting 44.0 percent from three on 7.5 attempts per 100 possessions this season. The 19-year-old leads all rookies in three-point percentage (minimum 30 attempts).

“Kas has really been working on it, and he’s obviously one of our better three-point shooters,” Erik Spoelstra said after Thursday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets. “I don’t know if you can make that case in July. He was a good three-point shooter, but he’s really refined it. His release is sharp. His reps are always at the top of our roster in the gym. And he’s able to do a little bit more going forward now, and it really helps us. We need that differentiation, we need his creativity, we need the things he can do off the dribble, but we look at his shooting, others. He is getting the benefits of playing. And he will get even better.”

“It’s hard to find players that can do both. They can make plays off the ball and move and get into open spaces. He’s also a very good, smart catch-and-go guy. But in his one year at Illinois, he was ball dominant, so he’s one of those guys. It won’t be as much with us right now, but you can see he’ll have a skill set that he can lean on as well.”

Jacusionis’ floor spacing has allowed him to make an immediate impact.

Kasparas Jakusionis getting attention amid shooting improvement with Heat

According to CleaningTheGlass, the Heat score 3.7 more points per 100 possessions with the rookie on the court versus off. This is the fifth-best mark in the NBA among all players under the age of 22.

“He’s not hesitating. He’s not really thinking about it. He’s just catching and just shooting it,” Bam Adebayo said. “When you’re in that kind of rhythm, we want you to just catch and shoot. Don’t overthink it. Because a lot of times that’s going to be the best shot you’re going to get. So for Kass, it’s just keeping it simple for him.”

Jaksionis would play a key role in the Heat’s playoff run in the final 19 games of the regular season. The Lithuanian guard has played 19.8 minutes per game over the past five weeks, eighth-most on the team.

The Heat are struggling to avoid falling in the Eastern Conference Play-in Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. Miami, the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic are separated by half a game for the East’s sixth to eighth seeds.

MIAMI – The Miami Heat are trying to make a playoff run with 20 games left in the season, entering Thursday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets, the team is once again dealing with injury problems. It may sound strange to fans, but it’s true that the Heat are aiming to avoid the play-in tournament this season, as head coach Erik Spoelstra talked about his approach to injuries.

As mentioned, Miami has battled a myriad of injuries over the past several seasons, leading to endlessly different starting lineups and rotations, which can lead to endless frustration and an inability to properly evaluate the quality of a team.

Given the current situation, the team’s leading scorer, Norman Powell, suffered a groin sprain and has been labeled “week-to-week”, having already missed the last two games without a schedule. Nikola Jovic continues to miss time with a back injury and Simone Fontecchio was forced off the field late on Thursday with a groin injury, adding to the problems.

Especially with Tyler Herro getting back into rhythm after missing a total of 45 games this season, Spoelstra will talk about the approach of “going for it” but also being “responsible” with health.

“We’re going for it. So I know this time of year, everybody is dealing with something,” Spoelstra said. “We want to be responsible, that was the case with Norm and Simo [Fontecchio]And hopefully, if you get things going early and you really attack it with rehab, it might be short term, but then there will be other cases that we just have to go for it and play big minutes for our main guys, I’m starting to do that anyway.

The Heat have been dealing with injuries and balancing them at this point in the season: Erik Spoelstra #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/lVIfpUboI8

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 5 March 2026

Erik Spoelstra on the pressure the Heat are facing in the tight East

As Herro finds the Heat star taking on an even bigger role without Powell, injuries have gotten in the way of the two being on the same court together and working on their chemistry. The two have only played 12 games together this season, making it a small sample size for their production together, but with the mystery of when Powell’s groin injury will heal, Miami will have to make do.

Entering Thursday’s game against the Nets, the Heat were one game behind the sixth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, the spot they needed to finish at least to avoid the play-in tournament. However, with only two and a half games separating the sixth and 11th seeds in the East, anything can happen, with Miami on fire due to the pressure.

“I love the pressure for this group,” Spoelstra said. “I think we really need that pressure to get into second gear. And there’s going to be a lot of pressure in these games. There’s going to be a lot of clutch games, close games, a lot of emotions in these games, you know.”

Spoelstra added, “I know we have a lot of competitors in our locker room, and I’m counting on us to bring out a better version of ourselves.” “We have everything we need. We’ve got a high-powered offense, we’ve got a very good defense, defensively as good as anybody in the league. But we need to put it together, especially in moments of truth.”

Erik Spoelstra talks about the frustrations and pressure the Heat faces from being a consistent play-calling team. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/2q5YEXqgAo

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 4 March 2026

At any rate, after Thursday’s outing against Brooklyn, the eighth-seeded Heat have to play a crucial game against the ninth-seeded Charlotte Hornets, separated by a game and a half.

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo recently expressed his frustration with always being in the play-in tournament. It seemed like a warning to his teammates, and possibly, also a well-intentioned appeal to coach Erik Spoelstra.

Although only time will tell if Adebayo’s message works, the Heat recorded an impressive 115-105 win against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. Spoelstra made the right decision to employ a zone defense, making life difficult for the Rockets.

The Heat are 5-5 in their last assignment, improving to 32-29.

In a report by Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, Spoelstra admitted he has a love-hate relationship with zone defense. However, he stressed that at the end of the day, it’s all about effort, as cliché as it sounds.

“No matter what the plan is, I always go back to it. It’s about being committed to doing the hard work,” said the three-time champion coach.

“We were really driving down the field, taking away airfields, and struggling to challenge shots at the rim. In a lot of these losses over the last three months, we’re just giving up shots at the rim and threes.”

The 55-year-old Spoelstra is considered one of the most brilliant strategists in the NBA, and he knows his willingness to do less glamorous things on the field will set him apart from the competition.

The Heat held the Rockets to only 43% shooting from the field, including 9 of 36 from three-point territory. He also hit the Rockets inside, scoring 66 points in the paint.

Miami has been in the play-in tournament for the past three seasons, including advancing to the NBA Finals in 2023.

Although the Heat are still in contention for a playoff or play-in birth, Dan Le Batard is ready to have conversations around Erik Spoelstra. Spoelstra is currently the longest-tenured coach in the NBA, having coached the Miami Heat since the 2008–2009 season. His tenure has come with immense success: two championships with the Big Three Miami Heat and six trips to the NBA Finals, including the 2019-2020 and 2022-2023 seasons.

on the latest version of dan le batard showThe Crew chats about why the Miami Heat are stuck at the bottom of the conference. While Le Batard did not suggest that Spoelstra should be fired, he did say that the market needs to determine if there is a better hire who can do better than what Spoelstra has done.

“So unless you show me a future pop out there. Unless you have something out there where people are looking at it and saying, this is available. Oh, is Brad Stevens available, can we get him… and then all of a sudden you can flip it. In the history of South Florida sports, there has never been this kind of consistency, and I think Z and everybody here would acknowledge that while JuJu and Trista are comfortable saying, yes, SP Maybe it’s misunderstood. No one is saying SPOs should be fired. Like, there’s no one in this market saying out loud, “Get this group of people out of there,” Le Batard said.

The Heat are currently 32-29, leading the Southeast Division and currently sitting in 8th place in the playoff standings.

尽管热火队仍在争夺季后赛或附加赛资格，但丹·勒巴塔德已经准备好围绕埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉展开对话。斯波尔斯特拉是目前NBA任期最长的教练，自2008-2009赛季以来一直执教迈阿密热火队。他的任期取得了巨大的成功：随迈阿密热火队三巨头两次夺得总冠军，并六次闯入 NBA 总决赛，包括 2019-2020 赛季和 2022-2023 赛季。

在最新一期的 丹·勒巴塔德秀节目中，剧组人员就迈阿密热火队为何一直在联盟垫底进行了讨论。虽然勒巴塔德并没有建议解雇斯波尔斯特拉，但他坚持认为，市场必须确定是否有更好的雇员能够比斯波尔斯特拉做得更好。

“所以，除非你要向我展示未来的发展。除非你有一些东西，让人们看到它并说，这是可用的。哦，布拉德·史蒂文斯有空吗？我们能得到他吗……然后突然间你就可以把它翻过来。在南佛罗里达州的体育史上，从来没有这种稳定，我确实认为Z和这里的每个人都会承认，虽然Juju和Trista很舒服地说，是的，sp可能弄错了。没有人说Spo应该就像，没有人会说这个市场上没有人会大声说，“让这群人出去，”勒巴塔德说。

热火目前战绩32胜29负，领先东南赛区，目前在季后赛积分榜上排名第8。

MIAMI – With Miami Heat star Norman Powell considered “week-to-week” with a groin strain, the team is looking for ways to fill the void the All-Star has left now that there is no doubt a big question as to how productive he can be. With the Heat growing frustrated after taking a step back after their last two disappointing losses, head coach Erik Spoelstra has expressed confidence the team can keep the ship afloat, especially with star Tyler Herro.

While Powell is dealing with a Grade 1 groin strain that could cause the 32-year-old to miss a few games as Miami has four games this upcoming week, Herro is the clear choice to step into the role as the main offensive option alongside Bam Adebayo. Still, Powell has been key to the Heat’s offense, leading the team with 22.5 points per game, but one can’t forget that Herro was an All-Star last season, averaging 23.9 points per game.

Although Miami is losing Powell for an unknown amount of time, Herro’s workload is likely to increase, with Spoelstra even telling ClutchPoints that he was “planning on playing him a few more minutes anyway.”

“Well, we know what we miss with Norm,” Spoelstra said before Saturday’s game against the Houston Rockets. “He’s proven this year that he’s a versatile, explosive scorer in our system, but we also have other guys that can step up. Tyler, certainly, is a guy that’s already starting to get into a better rhythm and were planning on playing him a few more minutes anyway.”

“So, we need this,” Spoelstra continued. “You can see him in the second part [of last Thursday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers] He’s just being himself, and I think he’s going to get even better.”

Asked Erik Spoelstra about Norman Powell’s absence and Tyler Herro’s increased workload.

“We have other guys that can step up, certainly Tyler is a guy that’s already starting to get into a better rhythm, was planning on feeding him a few more minutes anyway…” #heatanarian pic.twitter.com/eTj690ezyW

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 28 February 2026

More on Heat’s Erik Spoelstra, Tyler Herro on Norman Powell’s treatment

While the Heat are tired of participating in the play-in tournament and trying to climb the standings with 22 games remaining before Saturday, Herro will be key in keeping the offense going. However, from what fans have seen there may be a role change, as Herro has been coming off the bench for the last four games after missing 15 games due to a rib injury.

There was already a question whether Herro would be reinserted into the starting lineup, but now with Powell out, does Miami have an option? Only time will tell, but it can’t be denied that Herro wants to stay healthy for the remainder of the season and help the Heat after he has missed 45 games this season due to a myriad of injuries.

In addition, the trio of Herro, Powell and Adebayo have only played 11 games this season, giving the team a small sample size on the ceiling. At any rate, Powell will work to get back, though it remains to be seen how much time will be lost.

“We took everything we had available to us today,” Spoelstra said. “I feel for Norm, because he wants to be out for all the games, especially in these moments, you know, right now. But we’ll treat him, and we’ll see where he’s at after the week.”

On Norman Powell being labeled “week to week” by Erik Spoelstra and where that leaves the team.

“We have everything available to us today. I feel for Norm because he wants to be there for all the games… but we’ll treat him and we’ll see where he is after the week…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/3sn4FpTUoS

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 28 February 2026

Before Saturday’s game against the Rockets, Miami is 31-29, leaving them in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, but the good news is that, including the aforementioned contest, the Heat are at home for the next seven of eight contests.

迈阿密——迈阿密热火队希望摆脱挫折，避免又一年的锦标赛炼狱，主教练埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉将努力在本赛季最后两场左右的比赛中保持稳定。虽然斯波尔斯特拉希望带领热火队，但他还将在未来的国际比赛中带领美国队承担另一项重要工作，特别是在 2028 年洛杉矶奥运会上，一位巨星最近主张参加比赛。

尽管有人猜测杜兰特不会与球星勒布朗·詹姆斯和斯蒂芬·库里一起参加比赛，但这位休斯顿火箭队球星在接受 ESPN 采访时驳回了这一说法，并表达了他对比赛的渴望。

“是的，我想打球，”杜兰特说。 “我很愿意，但我必须保持在比赛中的领先地位，我想要在场上发挥作用，让格兰特和任何做出决定的人都想让我加入球队。我不想要——不仅仅是为了资历。我仍然想证明我可以帮助球队获胜。今天，是的，我觉得我会把我的名字放在那顶帽子里。”

如果有一个人喜欢听杜兰的评论，那就是斯波尔斯特拉，他在周六下午迈阿密对阵休斯敦之前发表了讲话，称这位球星体现了“美国篮球文化”。

“我的意思是，只有他说这太不可思议了，这就是美国篮球的文化，”斯波尔斯特拉说。 “你只是希望最好的美国球员举手说，我想这样做。你可以在球衣上感受到他代表国家和美国队的热情。他在这些比赛中表现得令人难以置信。但就他而言，他现在所做的，他的比赛是永恒的，确实如此。”

埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉 (Erik Spoelstra) 对凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant) 表示他想在年近 40 岁的时候为美国队在洛杉矶效力做出回应：

“我的意思是，只有他这么说就太不可思议了……”

完整回复： #热力国家 pic.twitter.com/ES4HSVbXIn

— 扎卡里·温伯格 (@ZachWeinberger) 2026 年 2 月 28 日

热火队球员埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉讲述他与美国队凯文·杜兰特的经历

杜兰特对美国篮球队的影响是巨大的，因为他是奥运会男子篮球史上的最佳得分手，并且是四枚金牌得主。这位球星目前 37 岁，当 2028 年奥运会到来时，他将年近 40 岁，但毫无疑问，杜兰特仍然是一名精英球员，正如他目前在休斯顿的表现所表明的那样。

目前在火箭队，杜兰特场均贡献26.1分、5.4个篮板和4.5次助攻，投篮命中率为50.8%，三分命中率为40.2%。斯波尔斯特拉将讲述杜兰特的比赛是多么永恒，以及他在担任 2024 年金牌队助理教练时从这位球星身上看到的东西。

斯波尔斯特拉说：“你看看他在他这个年纪的表现，你就可以给他开出 26 岁以上的合同，跳投命中率达到 50%。” “无论你是否在那儿，都不重要。就他的职业道德和训练方式而言，他是一位绝对的战术家。这对所有进入联盟的年轻球员来说都是一个很好的教训。投篮是一回事，真正致力于球员发展是另一回事。”

“我认为这是我们大家都知道的一个收获，你知道，在夏天看着他工作，训练后的六周，训练前，训练之间的日子，他是有目的地去那里的，”斯波尔斯特拉继续说道。 “你知道，即使在这个年纪，也要努力变得更好和提高，这是多么美好的心态，所以他肯定为他们的球队增添了很多东西。”

无论如何，斯波尔斯特拉 2028 年美国队的阵容将如何，还有待观察，杜兰特很有可能出现在阵容中。

MIAMI – As the Miami Heat try to shake off their disappointment of avoiding another year of play-in tournament purgatory, head coach Erik Spoelstra will work on building consistency over the final 2o or so games of the season. While Spoelstra looks to lead the Heat, he will also have an even bigger task of leading Team USA in future international play, particularly at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where a big star recently advocated for playing.

Although there was some speculation about Durant not attending alongside stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry, the Houston Rockets star shrugged off that conversation to ESPN, adding that his eagerness to play has increased.

“Yeah, I want to play,” Durant said. “I would love to, but I have to be on top of my game, I want to perform on the field and make Grant and whoever is making the decisions want to put me on the team. I don’t want to — not just for seniority. I still want to prove I can help the team win. Today, yes, I feel like I’m going to put my name in that hat.”

If there’s anyone who loved hearing Duran’s comments, it was Spoelstra, as he said before Miami’s game with Houston on Saturday afternoon that the star embodies “the culture of USA Basketball.”

“I mean, it’s incredible for him to say that and that’s the culture of USA Basketball,” Spoelstra said. “You just want the best American players to raise their hand and say, I want to do this. And you can feel his passion to represent the country and America on the jersey. He’s been unbelievable in those competitions. But as far as him, what he’s doing right now, his game is timeless, it really is.”

Erik Spoelstra reacts to Kevin Durant saying he wants to play for Team USA in LA as he approaches 40 years old:

“I mean, it’s incredible for him to say that…”

Full response: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/ES4HSVbXIn

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 28 February 2026

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on his experience with Kevin Durant on Team USA

Durant’s impact on Team USA Basketball is immense, as he is the men’s all-time leading scorer in Olympic competition and a four-time gold medalist. Currently 37, the star will be approaching 40 by the time of the 2028 Olympics, but there’s no doubt that Durant is still an elite player, as evidenced by his current stint in Houston.

Currently with the Rockets, Durant is averaging 26.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from deep. Spoelstra will highlight how timeless Durant’s game is and what he saw from the star when he was an assistant coach on the 2024 gold medal team.

“You look at what he does at this age, and you can book him for 26-plus, shooting 50 percent on jump shots,” Spoelstra said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re there or not. He’s a complete tactician in terms of his work ethic and practice. It’s a great lesson for all the young players coming into the league. Making shots is one thing, and really working on player development is another.”

“And I think it’s an accomplishment that we all had, you know, watching him work during the summer, six weeks after practice, before practice, the days in between, he’s going out there with intent,” Spoelstra continued. “You know, even at this age, trying to get better and improve, what a beautiful mentality to have, so he’s definitely added a lot to his team.”

At any rate, it remains to be seen what Spoelstra’s roster will be like for Team USA in 2028, with Durant having a good chance of being on the team.

The Miami Heat’s frustrations grew after another disappointing loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, 124-117, on Thursday night, an outing that also featured the absence of a key player. Heat star Norman Powell will leave the 76ers game due to a groin injury, head coach Erik Spoelstra has given some insight on the issue.

Powell only played 10 minutes, where he scored only three points to go along with three rebounds and two assists, leading the team with 22.5 points per game, making his presence felt. He came into the game with “right groin soreness” on the injury report, placing him doubtful for the contest, although he was later made available.

Miami will now be at home for three games, with all eyes on his health as Spoelstra described how he “aggravated” the injury.

“We’ll have to evaluate it when we get back to Miami,” Spoelstra said, according to The Miami Herald. “It wasn’t that he couldn’t [play]…He took it out of proportion. So that’s what he’s dealing with, and we’ll just have to see what it is.”

Powell passed all protocols and testing to play Thursday because the groin injury had “aggravated over time,” as Starr said in that morning’s shootaround.

Heat’s Norman Powell on ‘really disappointing’ injuries

With the Heat’s loss to the 76ers, the team has 22 games left to turn the season around and avoid the play-in tournament, with Powell playing a key role in bringing the aggression to an extraordinary level. Although Tyler Herro returned and recorded 25 points and seven assists, Powell has been vital to the team as he has been dealing with back injuries as well as groin injuries.

Powell says injuries have been “really frustrating”, although the way he acknowledges this is that with many players, niggles and injuries happen, showing that they have “a very high pain tolerance.”

It remains to be seen what Powell’s status will be in Miami’s next game on Saturday against the Houston Rockets.

The Miami Heat will take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night, with the team looking to bounce back from a poor performance on Tuesday, which saw them lose 128-117 to the Milwaukee Bucks without Giannis Antetokounmpo. As the Heat look to avoid the play-in tournament for this season, head coach Erik Spoelstra will talk about the pressures associated with the team.

Thursday’s game has some postseason implications, as Miami is the eighth seed with a 31-28 record, with Philadelphia (32-26) holding the coveted sixth seed, which is the last spot a team can get to avoid the play-in tournament. Although there are still 23 games left, the Heat must turn a corner and get a win, which made Tuesday’s loss to the underdog Bucks all the more painful, especially as Miami had its three-game winning streak snapped.

When Spoelstra was asked about the pressure on the team, he shared his latest feelings with tennis legend Billie Jean King.

According to the Miami Herald, when asked about the pressure on Miami due to avoiding the play-in tournament, Spoelstra said, “Okay. I hope so.” “That pressure is a privilege, and I want our locker room to feel that pressure. We need to take our game to a higher level.”

Norman Powell explains where the Heat “messed up”

While the Heat’s goal for the remainder of the season is to build some stability to peak at the right time, it needs to start on Thursday, as a win over the 76ers will give them the tiebreaker, something that could be important for seeding purposes. However, the team needs to be better than it was Tuesday, especially defensively, to allow Milwaukee to have offensive success without Antetokounmpo.

Miami also struggled offensively, allowing a 30-point quarter in the first half and a 39-point period in the final frame, making no field goals in the final six and a half minutes of the game. Norman Powell will still call the defense the Heat’s fault.

“Honestly, we didn’t get enough stops,” Powell said after scoring 26 points. “They kept going back to the same play. And a lot of times we messed up. Sometimes we were able to get it right, sometimes we weren’t. And I think they were able to be successful in that, and they had confidence. And they started making plays consistently, and we just didn’t get the stops we needed.”

Spoelstra will mention how the defense needs to travel in these important road games, as the team looks to live up to that notion for Thursday’s tilt against the 76ers.

周四晚上，迈阿密热火队将迎战费城 76 人队，该队在周二遭遇灾难性的比赛后，希望能重新振作起来。在没有扬尼斯·阿德托昆博的情况下，他们以 128-117 输给了密尔沃基雄鹿队。由于热火队希望避免本赛季的附加赛，主教练埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉将谈到球队面临的压力。

周四的比赛对季后赛有一些影响，迈阿密热火队以 31 胜 28 负的战绩位居第八种子，而费城队 (32 胜 26 负) 则拥有令人垂涎的第六种子选手，这是一支球队可以避免参加附加赛的最后一个席位。尽管还剩 23 场比赛，热火队必须扭转局面并取得胜利，这使得周二输给人手不足的雄鹿队更加痛苦，尤其是迈阿密队结束了三连胜。

当被问及球队给他们带来的压力时，斯波尔斯特拉会向传奇网球运动员比利·简·金表达他的最新观点。

据《迈阿密先驱报》报道，当被问及迈阿密因避免参加附加赛而面临的压力时，斯波尔斯特拉说道：“很好。我希望如此。” “这种压力是一种特权，我希望我们的更衣室能够感受到这种压力。我们需要将我们的比赛推向更高的水平。”

诺曼·鲍威尔谈热火“搞砸了”的地方

虽然热火队本赛季剩余时间的目标是保持一定的稳定性，以便在正确的时间达到巅峰，但它需要从周四开始，因为战胜 76 人队将使他们进入决胜局，这对于种子队来说可能至关重要。然而，球队需要比周二更好，尤其是防守，让没有阿德托昆博的密尔沃基队在进攻上取得成功。

迈阿密热火在上半场单节拿下30分，在最后一节拿下39分，进攻也很挣扎，在比赛的最后六分半钟内没有投篮命中。诺曼·鲍威尔仍然将防守归咎于热火队。

“老实说，我们只是没有得到足够的停留，”鲍威尔在拿下 26 分后说道。 “他们不断地重复同样的战术。我们有太多次搞砸了。有时我们做对了，有时我们做错了。我认为他们能够做到这一点，而且他们有信心。他们开始在比赛中进行进攻，而我们就是无法获得我们需要的停球。”

斯波尔斯特拉会提到在这些重要的客场比赛中防守需要如何移动，因为球队希望在周四对阵 76 人队的比赛中实现这一理念。

周六晚上，迈阿密热火队前锋迈伦·加德纳和孟菲斯灰熊队的小斯科蒂·皮蓬展开对决，导致看台上发生混战，两名球员受到了惩罚。随着热火队和灰熊队的球员因打斗而受到罚款，主教练埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉会站出来为他的球员辩护。

这起事件发生在迈阿密最终以 136-120 战胜灰熊队的第四节还剩两分钟多的时候，但导致这一事件的原因之前就发生过。一开始，加德纳试图抢下防守篮板，但皮蓬似乎可以将热火队向前推进。

然后，在球场的另一端，当皮蓬投进三分球时，他撞上了加德纳，加德纳看起来就站在灰熊队后卫面前，把他摔倒了。皮蓬随后会在底角发起打斗来进行报复，导致斯波尔斯特拉表示加德纳是一个“容易攻击的目标”，尽管他们会继续前进，但他们“不同意”罚款。

迈伦·加德纳和小斯科蒂·皮蓬的这一刻引发了这场战斗。 👀

（小时/吨 @ohnohedidnt24）

pic.twitter.com/zlx3Risb95 https://t.co/xLmHmbHazz

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) 2026 年 2 月 22 日

“他是一名年轻球员。联盟很容易在这件事上表达自己的观点，因为它进入了看台，”斯波尔斯特拉通过《迈阿密先驱报》说道。 “但我们不同意这一点。皮蓬是那个把球推上看台的人，而迈伦并没有真正进行报复。一旦他倒在地上，他就笑了。所以如果是其他人，我认为不会被罚款 35,000 美元。但我们会继续前进。”

热火队球员迈伦·加德纳谈“事故”

虽然斯波尔斯特拉为热火队的年轻球员辩护，他在本周早些时候刚刚从双向转为标准合同，但他在周一的训练后表示，这对加德纳来说将是一个“很好的教学时刻”。这位前锋本人会说他是如何意外“撞见”皮蓬的，这导致了孟菲斯后卫的反应。

“哦，伙计。我确实感觉很轻松，”加德纳说。 “但这很好。现在它已经过去了。所以我对此无能为力。”

无论如何，迈阿密和加德纳希望将这一事件纳入后视镜，因为球队接下来将在周二对阵密尔沃基雄鹿队。

週六晚上，邁阿密熱火隊前鋒邁倫·加德納和孟菲斯灰熊隊的小斯科蒂·皮蓬展開對決，導致看台上發生混戰，兩名球員受到了懲罰。隨著熱火隊和灰熊隊的球員因打架而受到罰款，主教練埃里克·斯波爾斯特拉會站出來為他的球員辯護。

這起事件發生在邁阿密最終以 136-120 擊敗灰熊隊的第四節還剩兩分鐘多的時候，但導致這一事件的原因之前就發生過。一開始，加德納試圖搶下防守籃板，但皮朋似乎可以將熱火隊向前推進。

然後，在球場的另一端，當皮朋投進三分球時，他撞上了加德納，加德納看起來就站在灰熊隊後衛面前，把他摔倒了。皮蓬隨後會在底角發起打架來進行報復，導致斯波爾斯特拉表示加德納是一個“容易攻擊的目標”，儘管他們會繼續前進，但他們“不同意”罰款。

邁倫·加德納和小斯科蒂·皮蓬的這一刻引發了這場戰鬥。 👀

（小時/噸 @ohnohedidnt24）

pic.twitter.com/zlx3Risb95 https://t.co/xLmHmbHazz

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) 2026 年 2 月 22 日

「他是一名年輕球員。聯盟很容易在這件事上表達自己的觀點，因為它進入了看台，」斯波爾斯特拉透過《邁阿密先驅報》說道。 「但我們不同意這一點。皮蓬是把球推上看台的人，邁倫並沒有真正進行報復。一旦他倒在地上，他就笑了。所以如果是其他人，我認為不會被罰款 35,000 美元。但我們會繼續前進。”

熱火隊球員邁倫·加德納談“事故”

雖然斯波爾斯特拉為熱火隊的年輕球員辯護，他在本週早些時候剛從雙向轉為標準合同，但他在周一的訓練後表示，這對加德納來說將是一個「很好的教學時刻」。這位前鋒本人會說他是如何意外「撞見」皮蓬的，這導致了孟菲斯後衛的反應。

「哦，夥計。我確實感覺很輕鬆，」加德納說。 “但這很好。現在它已經過去了。所以我對此無能為力。”

無論如何，邁阿密和加德納希望將這一事件納入後視鏡，因為球隊接下來將在周二對陣密爾瓦基公鹿隊。

While Scottie Pippen Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies was busy giving his opponents “hugs,” Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra had a much different view of the chaos that occurred late Saturday night.

Following the Heat’s 136–120 win over the Grizzlies, Spoelstra addressed a fourth-quarter brawl in which Pippen and Miami forward Myron Gardner were ejected after falling into the stands. While Pippen claimed he was responding to a “soft” cheap shot, Spoelstra isn’t buying that narrative.

“I don’t know what happened on the three-point shot. I just saw Pippen fall,” Spoelstra told reporters. “I watched the play after that and he looked 95% like Pippen. Let’s see what it is. I love Myron regardless.”

Erik Spoelstra on the scuffle between Myron Gardner and Scottie Pippen Jr.:

“I don’t know what happened on the three-point shot. I just saw Pippen fall down. I watched the game after that and he looked 95% Pippen. Let’s just see what it is. I love Myron regardless.” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/mntJJe8jcU

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 22 February 2026

“95%” Spoelstra refers to the moment Pippen charged Gardner and pushed him into the front row at the Cassia Center with 1:19 remaining. While the physical exchange made headlines, the actual basketball game was a masterclass in Heat culture.

The Miami Heat demolished Memphis with great ball movement, dishing out 36 assists. Andrew Wiggins was the star of the night, scoring 28 points on a nearly perfect shooting performance of 9 out of 10. Norman Powell added 25 points, helping Miami lead the way during a dominant third quarter by 39 points. The win was an important boost for a Heat team that has relied heavily on its depth throughout a difficult season.

The Memphis Grizzlies, playing without Ja Morant, could not maintain momentum despite a breakout performance from GG Jackson, who dropped 28 points. Before his ejection, Pippen Jr. was the only bright spot in the backcourt, finishing with 18 points and six assists.

For Memphis, it was an appropriate response to a dirty play. For Spoelstra and the Heat, it was an unnecessary addition to an already decided game. Regardless of who’s at fault, the rift between these two young players is a story worth watching the next time they meet officially.

MIAMI – As Miami Heat star Tyler Herro returned from his rib injury with a dominant 128-97 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, there’s no denying the guard has given the team a big boost. The Heat are looking to maximize their lineup now that Herro is in the mix, as chemistry appears to be building between the star and rookie Kasparus Jaksionis.

There are a couple of guys on the team who still haven’t figured out how much time Herro has missed, as he’s been absent not only 15 games prior to Friday’s win, but 45 games total with a myriad of issues. The saving grace is that the rookie Jacusionis is getting extended minutes at some point, either off the bench or in the starting lineup.

Since January 15 against the Boston Celtics, Jaksionis has recorded double-digit minutes in every game, showing the trust he has built with head coach Erik Spoelstra. On Friday, with both Herro and Jacusionis on the floor, there was a strong one-two punch in the backcourt as the rookie put the star in spots to score, also drawing the attention of Spoelstra, who saw a “rapport” blossoming.

“Obviously, we haven’t seen a lot of them, just because of availability, but the skill level, the talent, the offensive talent, just without spending a ton of time with them, you can see how the synergy could be,” Spoelstra said before the team took on the Grizzlies on Saturday night. “Kaas [Jakucionis] Is a playwright. He plays with speed, he wants to kick the ball forward, he wants to get the ball to people almost to a fault, and you could see that last night, he was looking for Tyler like every time.

Erik Spoelstra last night when Tyler Herro and Kaspars Jaksionis were on the court together: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/j6YsK8eKpl

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 21 February 2026

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra talks Kasparus Jaksionis’ improvement

While Jaksionis has some unique attributes for the Heat, as he was drafted with the 20th overall pick in the last NBA Draft, he gives the team a true point guard with potentially elite play-making abilities, an ideal the roster is looking for.

At just 19 years old, there’s no denying the raw talent, however, as Jacusionis is recording consistent minutes, averaging 22.7 minutes so far in February. His improvement from his first season has been noticeable, with even Spoelstra talking about the Illinois product’s “work ethic.”

“So I’m excited about the prospects, but Kass continues to get better,” Spoelstra said. “If you look at where he was in summer league compared to where he is now, it’s really a credit to his work ethic. He spent a lot of time with Coach Quinn and all the pre-practice and post-practice sessions. You know, he’s improved a lot. He’s earned it.”

It remains to be seen what Jakusionis’ role looks like with the team getting healthy, though with Davion Mitchell missing Saturday’s game due to a head ailment, the rookie will also get a start over Herro as the team manages minutes following the star’s injury. Nevertheless, Herro led the Heat throughout the game with 24 points on nine of 14 shooting from the field and two of four from deep.

At any rate, the team is looking for continuity, as prior to Saturday’s tilt hosting Memphis, the team was 30-27, which puts them in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Next, the Heat move on to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

MIAMI – As Miami Heat star Tyler Herro returned from a rib injury in a 128-97 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday after missing 15 straight games, the team was the healthiest it has been, arguably, all season. As the Heat look to maximize their full roster to their potential with 25 games left in the season ahead of Saturday’s showdown against the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach Erik Spoelstra talks depth.

It has been a recurring trend that Miami’s injury report would be full of issues, with Herro at the forefront as he has missed 45 of the 57 games played so far. But after a much-needed All-Star break, the team dominated with a healthy roster, possibly displaying winning ways from the beginning of the season.

Despite the myriad of injuries, Spoelstra has touted the team’s depth, and even though it’s only one game, he said Friday’s win had a different feeling.

“I have a lot of positive feelings about our team and our depth, we’ve used it all season,” Spoelstra told ClutchPoints before Saturday’s game. “We’ve used it when guys have been out, and last night was an example of that when we had our full roster, you could feel the depth. You could feel the level of talent, you know, that we have on the roster. It’s just one game, but we have to keep building and stacking up. I have no problem with our guys feeling great about the game after the break, and now we have another one that’s behind us. And we want to build some continuity.”

Erik Spoelstra was asked if last night was a glimpse of how he envisioned the team going into the season because it was the healthiest he has ever played.

“You can feel the level of talent that we have on our roster, it’s just one game, but we have to keep developing…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/4SKbWumWJs

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 21 February 2026

Tyler Herro puts the spotlight on the Heat’s “legitimate” strength

With the return of the Heat’s star in Herro, it has given the team a chance to see which rotations work and which don’t, although there is still work to be done. Especially when it comes to Herro and Norman Powell, and when Herro came off the bench in his first game, the two only played three minutes together.

Still, others, such as Kel’El Ware, Kaspars Jaksionis, Jaime Jacquez Jr., Pelle Larsson, and others benefited from a healthy roster. Spoelstra even talked about how Miami has “legit depth” after the win.

“We have legitimate depth, we’ve been talking about it all year,” Spoelstra said after Friday’s win over the Hawks. “But when you have players out, the depth is used to fill players out and fill some gaps. But when we have everyone available, we look a lot different. It’s a game, but it’s something we’ve felt about our team for a while. We have our guys available right now.”

There’s no doubt that helps someone like captain Bam Adebayo, who was carrying more weight than usual due to the uncertainty over who would or would not be available.

“You love a team that has that much depth,” Adebayo said after recording 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists in Atlanta. “Because now you have different guys that can step up at any time. And throughout the rest of the season and going into the playoffs, you’re going to need that.”

Although Davion Mitchell and Nikola Jovic are out for Saturday, the team’s health is headed in the right direction.

At any rate, Miami looks to win out as the team is 30-27, eighth in the Eastern Conference, before Saturday’s home game against the Grizzlies.

Miami Heat star Tyler Herro made an explosive return from a rib injury, scoring his game-leading 24 points to help the team defeat the Atlanta Hawks, 128-97, on Friday night. The guard will be coming off the bench in his first game. As the Heat guard Herro looks to excel over the remainder of the season, head coach Erik Spoelstra talks about Herro’s role with 25 games remaining.

Herro was impressive in his debut as he had missed the previous 15 games due to a “right costochondral; rib injury”, which began when the guard fractured three ribs on January 10. Although he played in three games after taking Torodol shots to suppress pain, he missed time, which led to Spoelstra coming off the bench on Friday, saying he was managing his minutes and trying to “maximize” the rest of the season.

“Right now we’re trying to get him out of there,” Spoelstra said, according to The Miami Herald. “We’re going to manage the minutes. I’m not thinking too much about it, I’m not putting anything into it, I don’t have a timeline for anything.”

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra fit in with Tyler Herro and Norman Powell

After Herro returned to Heat practice on Thursday, it cannot be denied that the team is relatively cautious as the guard has missed 45 of 57 games this season due to numerous injuries.

Herro also had to come off the bench in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 6 after returning from a 13-game absence due to a toe injury. But Herro returned to the starting lineup in the next game, which could indicate a similar outcome for the current situation.

He and Powell had an interesting pairing early in the season, but on Friday they had to run in different lineups, with the two playing less than three minutes together. But, Spoelstra says those two will need to spend more minutes together, as Powell also emphasized the “versatility” of the two fitting together.

“It’ll work,” Spoelstra said about playing Herro and Powell together. “I’m not thinking too much about it at all.”

It remains to be seen how Herro’s role develops, especially with Norman Powell, as Miami next faces the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.