Wiggins, Jaquez Jr., Larsson, Powell, Spoelstra | Postgame Interviews | November 7, 2025

Wiggins, Jaquez Jr., Larsson, Powell, Spoelstra | Postgame Interviews | November 7, 2025

sort of what are the feelings to see something like what the Spolsters are going through to see Eric with his children here before the game and how emotional was the was the night for the players. Oh yeah, I mean it’s devastating what happened. um you know coming home from a you know late flight and you know seeing that um you know my obviously my my peers are with them and you know I hope everything gets better um and all the team we’re all here you know supporting him with you know whatever he needs uh um but it’s you know it was a special game you know go out there and you know get this win for him um under the circumstances obviously he didn’t have to be here but you know he loves the team and you know he wanted to be out here. We wanted to go out there and get that win for him and we did. Can you kind of talk about obviously that first quarter scoring 53 points that’s a franchise record but then maybe going into that second quarter 19 points I think was saying like maybe guys were getting a little lazy out there especially himself cuz obviously after that first quarter can you kind of talk about the swings there? Um yeah, you know, we had a you know, big big uh first quarter. We’re moving the ball, everything was going well. And you know, sometime with what tends to happen when you’re up big, you know, you take your foot off the gas, you know, and sometimes the other team, you know, they see the ball going hoop a couple times or confidence, you know, we’re grow, you know, when everyone’s good in this league. Um so you give someone confidence, you know, it can go a long way. Appreciate it. What did happen on that play? Can you take us through and what were your thoughts immediately? Man, I was trying to get uh 10 assists and then I rolled my ankle. That’s what happened. I’m just kidding. But actually, that’s what happened. How much discomfort is there now? Uh it’s all right. It’s I’ve had worse. So, okay. Yeah, I’ll be all right. So, you’re feeling obviously you don’t know until the next day with a lot of these things, but right now you’re cautiously optimistic about being able to play. I’m pretty optimistic, but I mean, you said it, you know, you really only know the next day. I’ve had plenty of times where, you know, I’ve rolled an ankle. You know, it felt fine the next day. It hasn’t. You really just don’t know until tomorrow. So, for a regular season game, this had to have a lot more meaning for you guys knowing what coach went through. The fact that he decided to come to work sort of how important was it for you guys to persevere and get him the W on on a night like this? I mean, first of all, I just want to say how inspiring um it was to just see him be out here. You would have never known anything tragic happened today. He took it like a regular day. Uh first thing he said to us was uh you know, appreciate all the wishes. most important thing is that you know his kids and his family were all okay and uh the fact that he came here with a smile on his face and excited to coach us as if nothing happened. I mean that just goes to show what kind of person he is. Um you know material things don’t really matter. It’s what you know the people who you surround yourself with and I mean it was just so so inspiring to see him here and and we thank him uh for for being that leader for us in in this locker room. And you know we really want to get that win for him. you went with the the sweep through move early in the game and Tyler seem to be in your ear about better than you went and got it correctly the next time. Just what how much has he been helpful I guess on the sideline so far this season? He’s been extremely helpful. Uh you know he’s really good at uh drawing those fouls in that way. So any tip that I can get from him I’m always taking and he’s always uh in my ear telling me you know before the game he asked me how many times we’re going to get to the line um just knowing playing downhill and you know that’s how scorers score points is is getting to that foul line. Appreciate it. Obviously, this was a different emotional feel. Um, how did it feel in the locker room knowing what coach had gone through? And how satisfying is it that on a day he chose to work, you were able to ultimately come through with the victory? Yeah, I mean, yeah, first and foremost, I mean, we’re just glad to that’s, you know, Spo is still able to, you know, come spend time with us and h and, you know, that everyone is healthy and no one got hurt. So, that’s great. And I mean, yeah, it was definitely wanted to get a win for our coach today. So, it was good to be able to perform uh when we wanted to do that. Pella, you’ve obviously thrived as a starter. What’s easier about starting than coming off the bench? Is there anything for you? Uh, no. I think I mean, I’m just playing more minutes. Uh, so getting more opportunities and and trying to show what I can do with those opportunities. Was the the difference between all the points in the first quarter and then the the lull in the second? How much of that was make or miss or did anything within the offense kind of get gked up in the second? Uh, no. I think we just got a little bit spoiled making so many shots to be honest. like we started not working as hard for our offense and it’s just maybe getting too stand still at times uh settling but uh I think we did a better job uh you know that second half of playing some defense and actually getting some stops and that’s how you close out the game but yeah definitely got a little bit lazy after that uh you know crazy first quarter uh Norm obviously I would have to think it would be an emotion night for spell for sure coming off of what happened with him can you kind of talk about from a player perspective, what you saw from him coming into this game kind of willing the team to win here. Um, a lot of positivity, honestly. Um, I mean, situations like that, I mean, it’s really bad, but I mean, it’s out of your control, you know, and I I think he’s a a guy that um really focuses on on the mental side of things, you know, um u being locked in, focusing on what you can control, being in the present moment. Um, so when I saw him uh before my like little warm-up and stuff in the wait room, you know, he came and thanks cuz uh sent him a text everybody did checking on him. Uh and uh he was smiling, you know, and uh he said uh the Spolsters are very resilient, you know, and I told him I know. So um you know, he he’s a guy that uh been through adversity. He’s been hit with things that he can’t control. And uh he said everything that he lost he can replace. You know, the most important thing is is the family is good. one, had you ever been a part of a scoring quarter like that? And then Pella was just in here saying when you guys did hit that lull in the second quarter, it’s because in his words, you guys got a little lazy in terms of running your offense. Is that um Yeah, I mean, it’s been a minute since having a a quarter like that. Um you know, uh 11 years here uh in the league, you definitely had some good offensive quarter bursts and things like that from guys individually. um uh our collectively as a team. But I definitely agree like we got up really big and I think um we kind of went away from our principles offensively thinking we can get whatever we want on on the team. Um and then defensively since we’re up big, you know, you kind of lack you’re only focused on offense, right? Cuz everybody’s playing well, the ball’s going in. Um so everybody wants to be a part of the action. Um so I think uh we took our foot off the gas and our focus um off of our defensive principles um and allowed them to get going, feel good, and get themselves uh into the game. you’ve come out the gate hot in a lot of these games early in the first quarter with your scoring. Is that by design or is it kind of just you finding your flow early in games consistently? Um just finding my uh my flow consistently. Um and obviously just taking what the defense gives. Um yeah, I’m just uh being aggressive and balls going in. Uh but my focus is just uh making the right uh reads and plays on what the defense is giving me. um and taking those shots. Uh trusting uh my work and uh I’m going to continue to to do that. I think uh it gets us uh going. It gets us feeling good. Um when I’m aggressive like that, uh gets guys to to find their spots and then the defense starts keying in on me um not helping and it opens up the driving lanes in our offense for other guys to create um offensively. Can you just kind of talk about how maybe the offense is a little different when Bam is not there on the floor? Obviously, he’s kind of willing guys and setting up guys. Is is it a little different and was there any kind of an you know adapting to that? Yeah, I think uh it it balances us out a little bit more having Bam on the floor because he’s so versatile, you know. Um we can give him the ball at top the key. He can attack. He can um make plays for other he can be in a corner. He can put him in different spots. um kind of when he’s he’s out, you know, um we’re kind of in that like five out, four out uh kind of offense and um you know, it takes more body movement, ball movement for us to uh find openings and gaps to drive. But um the principles are the same, but obviously when you have a versatile big like that, you know, you can post them up and still play out of that. You can have them in the corner up top, like I said, especially in transition. Um so it’s just a different feel, but um guys stepping up, guys moving around. I thought we did a great job offensively. um you know adjusting to that and I thought we were playing a little bit faster too. Coach, a franchise record obviously in the first quarter would fit three points but then obviously the second quarter is 19 and closing it out strong. Can you just kind of talk about the shifts in this game that kind of led to the strong quarter at the end? Yeah, you know I I loved obviously the offense uh in in the first quarter that that’s only going to get better. I’m not saying we’re going to score, you know, 50, but guys are gaining confidence. They’re understanding what we’re trying to do. Um you know, it can ignite fast. Uh, but I had to be, you know, the the buzzkill, you know, after the first quarter saying, “Hey, we gave up 33 and, you know, I’m sure they’re rolling their eyes and um, you know, but then we thought that it would be easy and then they started to go on a roll and I think they went on a 31-10 run. Um, but we never really established our defensive game uh, you know, to start. We just were um, you know, caught fire in that in that first quarter. Uh but in the second half it was much better. Held them under 40 um under 40%. Um the efforts were better. Uh guys were challenging uh in the paint containing off the dribble making multiple efforts. Uh that was uh much much better defensively. Um you know and then the the offense you know it can like I said it can uh I just think that’s going to get better and better as the season goes on. the emotion of the night. Just what was it like to be out there? I know you talk about compartmentalizing. Put everything aside, but it would seem like on a night like that that would be hard to do. Yeah. What are you trying to get get uh get me emotional right now? There are a lot of emotions. Look, I’m human like any anybody, you know. Um I’ve been so busy and uh managing everything with my kids and um and then also preparing, you know, for the game. Uh, but I just told Quinny, you know, just hit me, you know, you know, right now after the game, I I just want to go home, you know, I want to, you know, my kids were we’re were, you know, obviously we’re taken care of. Uh, I I will see them, you know, tonight, but um, in a perfect world, I’d rather go home. I know you’d always rather have Bam, but in the past where he’s you’ve used him as a hub, picks, handoffs, and everything, at least with the way the offense is set up now for a game like this, is it a little easier to maintain the same process without him for a short stretch? Oh, I see what you’re saying. Um, yeah. Yeah, probably. There’s a lot more habits where we don’t have to change necessarily what we’re doing. Um yeah, but I think uh even you know what we’re doing, I think it just really complements Bam’s versatility even more so. You know, I think you know the stuff that he can do u you know uh uh off the catch or off close outs um in random situations I think just fits his game perfectly. Uh high at the end. It seems like it’s always something we were told it’s an ankle sprain. Uh yeah, how disappointing. And and just to sort of add on to that with this silly tiebreaker stuff in the cup, did that factor into keeping players out a little longer? Oh, for sure. Really? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. It’s much like FIA. I think it ultimately I think it’s good. You know, I I hate this whole thing, you know, in the NBA now where you’re not allowed to shoot on the last it used to be one possession, then it’s turned into two possessions. Sometimes it’s turned into three possessions now. Uh it’s just kind of silly. Uh, I think the FIVA, you know, stuff, I think it works. You play all the way to the end. I think, uh, you know, this works. This was unfortunate, but let’s let’s see how he feels tomorrow. You know, he’s he’s uh sprained it so many times. Um, you know, he’s sometimes he’s been able to bounce back. We’ll just we’ll just see. Coach, there were stretches tonight where they had Diabate as a primary defender on Hz. What does it say about kind of the, you know, the the the season he’s had and the way that he was able to respond to it having another big game tonight? Yeah, this was different than what teams were doing last year. Teams were putting the five on him, you know, to uh, you know, just to try to um, muck up our game. And then he wasn’t a screener and you know, it would you’d have to think about things differently. Tonight was different. They’re putting their better defender on him, which was a sign of respect. But I thought he handled that well. Um, you know, and he just he just continues to be uh uh in control downhill uh relentless guy, you know, now that he understands where his outlets are. Um, you know, he can be aggressive. uh he can he can challenge one two guys, but you got to keep the defense honest um and kick it out, you know, enough times where where they feel that. And I think he’s been making really good progress with that. Coach, you had a a good viewline of it from the bench there. But, uh more impressive to you, the move Haime made to get to the rim or the slam to finish it there early in the fourth quarter? Um you seem really fired up about it. Uh, no, I think all of it. Um, look, he’s he’s fearless. So, uh, he he’s going to make, you know, he’s going to make you put your body in front of him and then he’s probably going to make another help defender put your body in front of him. Uh, you know, that that type of fearlessness he had from day one. Now, I just I see more thought behind it. Uh, and again, he doesn’t have to, you know, be Jason Kid out there. Um, you know, he’s he’s filling a role for us and and we need that uh downhill uh relentlessness, but you got to keep the defense honest, you know, at least a handful of times, you know, which he’s doing. He’s making he’s making progress with that.

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Andrew Wiggins, Jamie Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson, Norman Powell and Erik Spoelstra spoke to the media following Friday night’s game vs. the Charlotte Hornets.

0:00 Andrew Wiggins
1:25 Jaime Jaquez Jr.
3:24 Pelle Larsson
5:08 Norman Powell
8:45 Erik Spoelstra

MIA vs. CHA Boxscore:
https://www.nba.com/heat/gamedayhub?gameID=0022500033

Coup’s Takeaways 📝:
https://www.nba.com/heat/news/coups-takeaways-heat-scoring-record-charlotte-jaquez-powell-larsson-nba-cup

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