Erik Spoelstra expressed disappointment in his team's recent performance that led to another Miami Heat loss on Sunday against the New York Knicks.
Facing one of the best teams in the NBA this season, the Miami Heat took another devastating blow this Sunday with a 132-125 loss against the New York Knicks.
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For Erik Spoelstra, this defeat has to be a reminder that his group still has a lot of work to do to reach its desired level.
"What you have to respect about the Knicks is you have to put them away every single possession. You can’t leave anything to chance with that team. That’s what they do. What they have is a will to win. That’s what we’re developing, and we’re going to get there—a collective will to win," Spoelstra said in the postgame.
"We played the game well in certain stretches, but there has to be a competition level, a competitive will to win, to overcome those things. They do it time and time again. It’s not just us."
From being down 11 with less than 10 minutes left, the Heat rallied to cut the Knicks' lead to two (120-118) with 3:12 remaining.
Since then, Miami failed to finish its furious late run, as New York retaliated with an 8-0 blitz to pull away with a win.
The Knicks mainly relied on the 47-point explosion of Jalen Brunson, but the Heat couldn't close it out strongly to steal the weekend matchup.
As a result of tonight's loss, the downslide continues for Spoelstra and the Heat. After a surprising hot start this season, they have now lost seven of their last eight games en route to a 15-14 record.
"I definitely see things, but we’re not talking about moral victories," Spoelstra added. "We are developing a collective competitive will, and these painful games are eventually going to be wins. We’re not happy about the result. We’re not trying to just play well and lose at the end. We’re developing a competitive, collective will.
"Our guys care in the locker room, but it’s got to be another level. It’s not enough. It’s got to be more. This league is a savage league. It’s survival of the competitive toughest, and that’s where we’re going to get."
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