In town aimed at extending their 10-game winning streak, the Miami Heat gathered Sunday night in Minneapolis for a Sunday night Super Bowl that brought coach Erik Spoelstra, forward Udonis Haslem and anyone else from the team’s 2013 championship team flashbacks.
New England rallied from a 25-3 deficit and won 34-28 in first Super Bowl overtime ever played after all seemed lost for the Patriots.
It was a good lesson in never-say-never, just like the Heat lived in 2013 when San Antonio had all but won the championship in a Game 6, so much so that Miami arena staff already had started to cordon off the court in preparation for a Spurs’ celebration.
Then Ray Allen hit the 3-point that forced a Game 7 the Heat won.
“We talked about it,” said Spoelstra, whose team plays the Timberwolves tonight at Target Center. “It certainly reminded us who have been around of the yellow ropes. More than anything, we were just watching it as a great sporting event. We’re sports fans and we all got our money’s worth on that one. That was spectacular.”
Heat star center Hassan Whiteside said he expected Tom Brady and the Patriots to do just what they did — win a fifth Super Bowl together — if not exactly the way they did it.
“I haven’t even watched them play this year, but I had them winning,” he said. “If I learned anything, don’t get against Brady, Don’t ever do that. I thought it’d take a miracle and Tom Brady showed himself.”
A student of his craft, Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau spent one day with Patriots coach Bill Belichick in 2012 that he’ll never forget.
Raised in Connecticut, he’s also a lifelong Patriots fan.
“Doesn’t surprise me, great game to watch,” Thibodeau said. “It’s a special team, quite a show. I had it on in my office. I caught the important parts.”
The Wolves tonight play on without starting guard Zach LaVine, who’s out for the season after he tore the ACL in his left knee during Friday’s loss at Detroit.
He’ll undergo surgery at sometime soon, but already has started what Thibdoeau called “pre-hab” to reduce swelling and prepare for it.
LaVine was at today’s morning shootaround, guiding himself through the Target Center corridors on crutches.
“Just to see him around today — moving, talking, just like he’s part of the team again — has meant a lot,” teammate Karl-Anthony Towns said.
The Heat once were 11-30 and now are 21-30 and haven’t lost since January 13 at Milwaukee.
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