“I Feel Horrible”: Erik Spoelstra Raises Concern for Pat Riley in Honest Admission Over Horrendous Mistake vs Pistons

Fighting back from an 18-point deficit, the Miami Heat courageously took the lead against the Detroit Pistons. It took overtime for the moment to come forth. And then the least expected happened. Renowned coach Erik Spoelstra rarely makes technical mistakes, but tonight's lapse of judgment cost Vice City their first loss of the In-Season Tournament. It was a game they should have probably won.

Coming off a character-displaying win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami had brimming confidence even though without Jimmy Butler. The Pistons' strong opening did push them to work harder. However, with Tyler Herro's insatiable attacking prowess, Miami had the wins in their hands.

Spoelstra decided to call a critical timeout to go over their closing strategy. But only if he had a timeout.

It resulted in a technical foul right after the Pistons took the lead with a Jalen Duren alley-oop. Malik Beasley didn't shake at the line. With 1.1 seconds remaining and the game tied, there was most likely to be a second overtime. Spoelstra's emotional decision caused a major setback. And the veteran head coach didn't shy away from taking accountability.

"I made a serious mental error. That's on me. I feel horrible about it. There's no excuse for that. I'm 17 years in. I knew in the huddle we didn't have one. I got emotional in the huddle. I made a horrendous mistake," he said of his game-costing error.

It was an uncharacteristic error from a man that is regarded as a great basketball mind. Even though it happened, Spo is preaching his own philosophies and taking ownership where it matters. It will remain a memory that probably haunts him. However, his resilience will allow him to recover and get things back on track.