In a tense matchup in Detroit on Tuesday night, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra expressed deep regret for his “horrendous mistake” after he called a timeout that his team did not possess. This error occurred with just 1.1 seconds left in overtime and resulted in a technical foul, allowing the Detroit Pistons to secure a crucial free throw, which ultimately contributed to their 123-121 victory in the inaugural NBA Cup game.
After Tyler Herro’s crucial shot put the Heat ahead 121-119 with only 1.8 seconds remaining, the Pistons executed a flawlessly designed inbounds play. Cade Cunningham delivered a lob to Jalen Duren, who successfully dunked the ball to tie the game. In a moment of frustration, Spoelstra rushed onto the court to signal for a timeout, unaware that his team had no remaining timeouts.
“There’s really no excuse for that,” Spoelstra admitted, acknowledging the blunder. Despite his extensive experience with 17 years in coaching—Two of which ended in NBA championships and an Olympic gold with the U.S. national team this summer—he allowed his emotions to cloud his judgment. “I made a serious mental error there at the end. That’s on me. I feel horrible about it,” he said.
This incident marred an otherwise spectacular performance by Tyler Herro, who scored an impressive 40 points and sunk ten three-pointers. Spoelstra reflected on the game, noting, “You don’t want it to come down to a mental error like that. It felt like it deserved double overtime, and unfortunately, even as a veteran coach, I interfered with that.”
Despite this setback, Spoelstra has received accolades as one of the best coaches in the league, garnering significant recognition in the NBA.com GM Survey, where he was the overwhelming favorite, earning 69% of the votes. However, the glaring mistake in this tightly contested game serves as a reminder that even the most seasoned coaches can stumble in critical moments.
