The Miami Heat overcame a late surge from the Oklahoma City Thunder to claim a 122-120 victory at Kaseya Center Saturday.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra highlighted the team’s resilience, saying, “There was a lot of that fueling us. This was by any and whatever means necessary game, whatever it takes.”
He emphasized the impact of second-chance opportunities, noting, “You just saw those incredible efforts down the stretch…on some of those second chance opportunities, even the jump ball, that was an incredible scrum underneath the basket.”
Spoelstra singled out Bam Adebayo for his leadership. “When you have one of these kind of games where you just have to do it by any means necessary, you want somebody like Bam leading the way. You’re getting the whole package—scoring, playmaking, facilitating, ball movement, offensive rebounding,” he said.
The coach also praised contributions from bench players. “Simone really showed up big tonight…Myron, it was great to see him come in and have an impact in his minutes. It was his energy and those efforts…that were terrific,” Spoelstra said.
Even with key players Tyler Herro and Jaime Jacquez Jr. out, Spoelstra noted the value of depth. “Certain five-somes can go out there and know that if called upon, unusual groupings can work out for this team,” he said.
The coach reflected on the team’s momentum after a tough road trip. “You see a Miami Heat competitive collective will out there. That for sure we’ll build on…we have a whole second half of the season to go. This should set up to be a lot of fun,” Spoelstra said.
Spoelstra also discussed managing possessions against a dynamic opponent. “They can make it look so smooth, so easy…you have to do everything in a game like this to give yourself the best chance,” he said.
The game-winning moment came on Andrew Wiggins’ three-pointer with 31 seconds left, which put Miami ahead for good. Spoelstra described the play, explaining, “On the possession where Wiggins hit the three, it looked like a pick and roll was developing and then Norm just be as guy…that was a play call.”
Adebayo led Miami with 30 points and six three-pointers, while Norman Powell added 19, Pelle Larsson 16, and bench players Fontecchio and Gardner combined for 24 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points for the Thunder, who were missing Jalen Williams due to right thigh soreness.
The victory improved Miami to 21-20, and Spoelstra believes the team is building toward sustained success. “It’s about a collective will…when everybody’s in the same boat, going in the same direction, there’s a power to that,” he said.
Miami will visit Golden State on Monday, while the Thunder travel to Cleveland.
