Erik Spoelstra Makes Surprising Revelation Behind Hidden Heat Play That Led to Andrew Wiggins’ Game-Winning Dunk

Erik Spoelstra Makes Surprising Revelation Behind Hidden Heat Play That Led to Andrew Wiggins’ Game-Winning Dunk (Source: Imagn)
Erik Spoelstra Makes Surprising Revelation Behind Hidden Heat Play That Led to Andrew Wiggins’ Game-Winning Dunk (Source: Imagn)

The Miami Heat continued their three-game winning streak on Monday, thanks to an Andrew Wiggins dunk in overtime. While the highlight-reel finish drew plenty of praise, head coach Erik Spoelstra revealed an unexpected detail about how the play came together after the game.

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After the game, Erik Spoelstra claimed that the decisive play wasn’t his own creation but the work of assistant coach Chris Quinn. The Heat head coach further revealed he had kept the play tucked away on his card for “four years.”

"I've had that play on my card listed as CQ (Chris Quinn) for four years. When it got to that point, Quinny said we should run that. I said, you know what, there's no better person to diagram it than the one who came up with the thing," Spoelstra revealed.
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Continuing on the topic, Spoelstra praised his players for executing the play to perfection.

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"It worked beautifully, I thought Norm (Powell) sold it really well, and then Wigs (Wiggins) made a great cut on it and then Niko just put it right on the lip of the rim, it couldn't be a better pass ... great execution to get that," Spoelstra continued.
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Spoelstra also took a moment to commend the Cavaliers for their effort and competitiveness throughout the game.

"It was a classic game, it was fun to be part of," he said. "It was just play after play, both teams, I felt like we were making tons of plays, but they were scoring, making plays ... they showed some grit."
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Andrew Wiggins’ game-winning dunk came with just 0.4 seconds remaining, as the Heat stole the victory from the Cavaliers’ grasp moments after Donovan Mitchell had tied the game with a clutch shot.

Andrew Wiggins credits coaching staff after clutch game-winning dunk against the Cavaliers

The Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers played out a classic at the Kaseya Center on Monday, with the home team edging out a 140-138 victory. Andrew Wiggins’ game-winning dunk in the final seconds sealed the victory and stole the spotlight as the Heat extended their winning streak.

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During the post-game interview, Wiggins reflected on his clutch shot while crediting the coaching staff.

"The coaches drew up a great play," Wiggins expressed. "Nico gave me an amazing, perfect pass, and D. Mitch (Davion Mitchell) got me open with a great screen. I was there to finish the job. I'm happy that we could get this win, it was a hard-fought one."

The Miami Heat will hope to ride this momentum into the next game as they face the Cleveland Cavaliers once again at home.

Miami Heat Nation! You can check out the latest Miami Heat Schedule and dive into the Heat Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Arian Kashyap
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