MIAMI (AP) 鈥� Erik Spoelstra had a very clear message to those who didn’t like of played out.
Put simply, the Miami Heat coach doesn’t care.
鈥淚 apologize to absolutely no one,鈥� Spoelstra said Thursday. 鈥淧eriod.鈥�
Adebayo’s 83-point game 鈥� now the No. 2 single-game total in NBA history, 17 behind and two ahead of 鈥� was one unlike any other. The Heat center took 43 shots in a 150-129 win on Tuesday over the Washington Wizards, made an and had an NBA-record 43 tries from the foul line.
And the last few minutes Tuesday were a circus, with the Wizards as much as quadruple-teaming Adebayo 鈥� who was still getting the ball 鈥� and the Heat fouling Washington players on four occasions in the final moments to extend the game and get their center more opportunities to score.
Adebayo said he didn’t see a double-team from the Wizards until the fourth quarter, when he already was up to 70 points.
His takeaway: Blame the Wizards for him getting on the roll of a lifetime.
鈥淚鈥檝e got 70 with, what, nine minutes left to go in the game? You think I鈥檓 not going for it? … Who would be like, 鈥榊ou know, coach, just take me out.鈥� Yeah, right,” Adebayo said. “You can鈥檛 be mad at that. If you are mad, I don鈥檛 care. Because a lot of people, if they did play, they never had a chance to get that close to chasing greatness. And if you get that close to chasing greatness, that鈥檚 the point of chasing it — so you can surpass it.鈥�
Lost in the hubbub about the final minutes, Spoelstra insisted, is this: Adebayo had 31 points in the first quarter, 43 by halftime, 62 through three quarters, 70 with 9:05 left and 77 with 3:26 remaining. The first instance of Miami fouling to get the ball back for Adebayo was with 1:40 left.
鈥淭here was a moment, and when there鈥檚 a moment in time like that, it鈥檚 carpe diem,” Spoelstra said, using the Latin term for 鈥渟eize the day.鈥� “You have to go for it, and that was just thrilling. And I鈥檓 honored that we were all able to be a part of it.鈥�
A handful of coaches around the NBA 鈥� including the Los Angeles Clippers’ Tyronn Lue and Denver’s David Adelman among them 鈥� have indicated they had no problem with the Heat using the final minutes to help add to what was already an enormous point total.
Adelman said Adebayo is as good of a professional as there is in the league, and to take a night 鈥渁nd go a little bit crazy鈥� was entertaining.
鈥淗e made the extra pass in the fourth quarter when he had 60. He blocked a shot. He was still playing the game,鈥� Adelman said. 鈥淲hen you get to 70, I’m sorry, man, like all bets are off. … I thought it was really cool.鈥�
Wizards coach Brian Keefe didn’t seem thrilled Tuesday with how the last few minutes went. On Thursday in Orlando, before his team played the Magic, Keefe didn’t reminisce.
鈥淲e’re focused on today,鈥� Keefe said.
Spoelstra said he spoke with Adebayo before the game about a need to have some urgency. The Heat played with several of their top players 鈥� Norman Powell, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins and Kel’el Ware among them 鈥� out of that game with injuries.
“It’s a Tuesday night game against a team where they鈥檙e not playing for anything, where their organization is trying to lose,” Spoelstra said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e already lost a game in that kind of situation. … I spoke to Bam about I want, as our best player and team captain, for him to be locked in and ready. And, he sure was.鈥�
He was referring to how the Heat lost a game to Utah last month, a matchup in which the Jazz 鈥� who keep their first round pick this year if it’s in the top eight of the draft 鈥� held out some of their top players in the fourth quarter and won anyway.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen people say you鈥檝e got to be a purist. I鈥檓 a Darwinist in this league,” Spoelstra said. “Really, you can do anything you want in this game. You can approach it however you want. … There鈥檚 nothing wrong with what they鈥檙e doing. If you can tank and get a great draft pick, I don鈥檛 care. You could do anything in this league. You can approach it however you want.鈥�
Spoelstra acknowledged that leaving Adebayo in toward the end of a decided game 鈥� Adebayo checked out for good with 1:08 left 鈥� was unusual, and it was. He also said memorable moments are 鈥渨hat our fans want to see鈥� and that 鈥渁 really magical night just appeared out of nowhere.鈥�
In his mind, that doesn’t merit any apologies.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 take away anything from our organization, how we feel about Bam, how special that night was,” Spoelstra said. “Our fan base is electrified by this moment.鈥�
And so was the head coach, who made clear that he’ll do anything for Adebayo.
The Heat got blown out at home by a bad Sacramento team on Dec. 6, one day before Spoelstra played host to his annual 5K run to benefit Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. The run was starting in the wee hours of a Sunday morning. Adebayo had only nine points in the loss to the Kings, and the Heat were sliding.
Without being asked, Adebayo showed up to help that morning. Spoelstra was blown away by the gesture.
鈥淗e was there, not to run, just to support,” Spoelstra said. “Just to support and let people know that he was supporting this cause. That says enough about him as a human being. That鈥檚 why I鈥檒l do anything for him as a competitor and as his head coach.鈥�
___
AP NBA:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
