REPORT: Following his ‘humbling’ blowout loss to the Celtics, Erik Spoelstra made a startling confession.
The Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat on Thursday. The two teams were facing off as part of the NBA’s “Rivals Week.” However, Erik Spoelstra’s team, which was playing on the second night of a back-to-back, failed to cause the Celtics many problems. Instead, the Celtics waltzed to a 143-110 win.
Spoelstra admitted Boston had wiped the floor with his team when speaking to the media after the game.
“What went wrong is we faced a very potent offensive team that’s been doing this for several months now,” Spoelstra said, as reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “It was a humbling night, that’s for sure. They put us in our place, and you do have to respect the body of work they’ve done so far in this season…They don’t miss many moments, offensively. If somebody is open, they make you pay for that. You have to be really intentional and disciplined and intelligent offensively over and over and over because of that firepower.”
Miami defeated the Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season. The two teams have gone head-to-head during the playoffs in recent years. As such, the Celtics likely view the Heat as a measuring stick for their chances of success. It’s likely why they were so fired up to secure a big victory in their latest matchup.
Nevertheless, you can’t count out the Heat. They struggled during the 2022-23 regular season, too. Then, they made an impressive run from the play-in tournament to the NBA Finals.
Of course, this year looks to be tougher. The Milwaukee Bucks improved during the summer with the addition of Damian Lillard. Boston added Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. And the Philadelphia 76ers look amazing under Nick Nurse’s tutelage.
The Heat will need to be at the top of their game to repeat their playoff performance of last season. That means they can’t afford to take teams lightly during the regular season. They need to gather as much data as possible so they can exploit it in the playoffs.
The Celtics deserved their win on Thursday. It’s highly unlikely things will be that easy the next time they face Miami, though. That’s the nature of a tough Eastern Conference this season. It will be interesting to watch how these two teams approach the second half of the basketball calendar.
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Recent trade acquisition would be willing to re-sign with the Celtics
Jrue Holiday joined the Boston Celtics via trade this past summer. He has quickly established himself as a key member of the team’s rotation.
However, there are concerns regarding his long-term future with the franchise. Holiday has a player option on his contract for next season worth $39.4M. He is expected to opt out of that option.
During a recent interview with MassLive’s Brian Robb, Holiday revealed that he would “prefer” to remain with the Celtics moving forward.
“I’d like to be here,” Holiday said. “I feel like I’m getting more and more comfortable, loving the guys, loving the organization and loving the city … My last extension was during the course of the year. I think that we can do both, talk about it and as well as prepare for games and prepare for what the future is.”
Holiday, 33, is a core part of the Celtics starting five. He has formed a fierce partnership with Derrick White in the team’s backcourt. He is also one of the best defensive guards in the NBA.
In Boston, Holiday has a chance to contend for championships for multiple years to come.
However, the opportunity to be a contender comes with some sacrifice. No one in the Celtics rotation is having a career year. Instead, everybody is playing their role and performing for the team.
That means Holiday will have less opportunity to earn individual accolades. Of course, if that sacrifice results in one or more championship rings, it would be worth it.
Boston currently boasts the best record in the NBA. They’re first in the Eastern Conference. And they have arguably the deepest eight-man rotation in the league. There’s a reason why they’re viewed as potential championship favorites.
If the Celtics can re-sign Holiday to a multi-year deal, they will likely be extending their championship window. Furthermore, the veteran guard’s contract could become a tradable asset down the line, which gives the front office flexibility moving forward.
It makes sense for both parties to find a way of extending Holiday’s stay in Boston.
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