Heat coach Eric Spoelstra praised the NBA’s play-in tournament as he discussed the journey that prepared Miami for its playoff run that has led it to lead the Celtics 1–0 in the Eastern Conference finals.
After the Heat’s 46-point third quarter that fueled their 123-116 victory against Boston on Wednesday night, Spoelstra commended the play-in games as a means of limiting late-season tanking.
“I do know the play-in helped,” Spoelstra told reporters. “There are far less teams tanking. Everyone was fighting for it those last two months. Every game was must-see TV. … So I think [for] the league, that’s probably the best thing that’s happened in the last decade.”
