"We wanted to make sure going into the last week with a quick turnaround that we were ready for this weekend," Spoelstra told reporters after the game. "We had legitimate injuries. We weren't just sitting guys."
With the "big three" inactive, Miami's role players were left to take on the Paul Pierce led Celtics (Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo didn't play).
The Heat actually controlled a majority of the game, taking a six point lead into halftime. Unfortunately, they couldn't get anything going in the second half, quickly losing control of the game.
Dexter Pittman led the Heat's offense against the Celtics, finishing with 12 points and 4 rebounds. James Jones was right behind him, putting up 11 points (3-4 shooting from three-point range) and 6 rebounds.
"We made too many turnovers and they capitalized on them," Jones told reporters. "We did some good things, but just not enough so we are locked into the second seed and we are focused on trying to correct some of our mistakes as we move into the playoffs."
With the loss, the Heat will head into the playoffs with the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They'll probably end up facing either the New York Knicks or the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2012 playoffs - teams they had a lot of success against during the season.
Heading into the playoffs, I still feel good about the way Miami's defense has been playing lately, but my feelings towards the role-players are rather ambivalent. They haven't been able to consistently play well over the course of the season, and the "big three" will have to carry the team in the playoffs.
The Heat will close out the season against the Washington Wizards on April 26.
David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 16 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.
Sources:
Associated Press, "Celtics handle Heat as both teams play without stars"
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