Erik Spoelstra’s plan for Tuesday night was pretty simple: eat dinner and then sit down to watch the opening night of NBA action.
“Like all of you,” the Heat’s coach said shortly after practice Tuesday. “I’m a fan.”
The Heat, a franchise which played in primetime games not too long ago, didn’t like being forced to be fans during last year’s playoffs.
After a thrilling 30-11 second-half finish to last season, Miami finished ninth in the Eastern Conference, heartbroken and left to wonder what might have been had they gotten in. The road to redemption begins Wednesday in Orlando.