Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Erik Spoelstra’s wife gives birth to a son. Coach expected back for Cavaliers’ game.
Coach misses first game as his wife gives birth to son
INDIANAPOLIS — For the first time since he became coach of the Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra was not on the bench for a game Sunday, when the Heat lost 113-107 in overtime to the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
With his wife, Nikki, expecting the couple’s first child, Spoelstra returned to South Florida, with assistant coach Dan Craig serving in his place.
The Heat then announced midway through Sunday’s fourth quarter that Nikki gave birth to a healthy son, at 6 pounds, 8 ounces, 19 inches.
Since taking over as head coach at the start of the 2008-09 season, Spoelstra not only had never previously missed a game, but only once was not on the bench from start to finish. That was when he was ejected with 5.6 seconds left in a Jan. 11, 2012 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center, with then-associate head coach David Fizdale finishing in his place.
“Spo is right where he needs to be,” Craig said. “He’s there for his wife Nikki. Obviously it’s a really exciting time for them. The team is excited, the staff is excited. I was there just a month ago with my son. So yeah, I think from a perspective standpoint this is great and exciting for Spo. The team is obviously understanding and really excited for him.”
Craig, who has coached the Heat’s summer-league teams and coached the franchise’s developmental-league affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, to the 2016 D-League championship, became the first Heat fill-in coach in over a decade. Ron Rothstein had previously served as a fill-in coach during Pat Riley’s tenures, when Riley had a hip replacement and scouted college games during the franchise’s low ebb. Craig said he felt comfortable. “I think to start the game there was a little bit of an adjustment,” Craig said. “Once I got into it, I felt pretty comfortable. The assistants did a great job helping me coach the game and the players, too.”
Sunday’s result officially counts against Spoelstra’s coaching record, but still meaningful for Craig.
“The assistants and the guys were great,” Craig said of the preparation. “Everybody came in with a great attitude. We had a great walkthrough at the hotel.”
Spoelstra is expected to be back on the bench when the Heat next play, on Tuesday night in a nationally televised game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Spoelstra also missed Saturday’s practice, with Craig running that session, but did help in game planning.
“All the assistants, we’re echoing Spo’s voice and his message,” Craig said. “We had a lot of carryover from [Saturday], Spo had a great film session. So we walked through a lot of stuff that he showed on film and then also this morning.”
Unlike during previous seasons, when Fizdale was listed as Spoelstra’s lead assistant, the Heat currently have no such formal designation among assistants Juwan Howard, Chris Quinn and Octavio De La Grana.
It is the first child for Spoelstra, 47, and his wife, a former Miami Heat dancer. Craig missed a game earlier this season for the birth of his second son, the second child for Craig and his wife Jackie.
Craig is in his 15th year with the Heat, starting as a video intern in 2003-04, named assistant video coordinator in 2004-05 and two years later promoted to video coordinator, a role he served for five seasons before being elevated to video coordinator/player development coach prior to 2011-12. The following season, Craig was named assistant coach/video coordinator and then in 2013-14 he was promoted to assistant coach.
Prior to joining the Heat, Craig had a brief tenure as a graduate assistant at Bloomsburg University. He played for Plymouth State from 1999-2003.
Even with the loss, there was praise for Craig’s effort.
“D.C. did a great job, got us prepared,” guard Dwyane Wade said. “I thought all the guys responded very well to his voice, to his leadership.”
Walton recalled
Guard Derrick Walton Jr., who ran out of NBA days on his two-way contract, will rejoin the Heat for Tuesday’s game.
Players on two-way contracts are allowed to return to their NBA teams once the G League regular season ended Saturday.
Walton was held out of Saturday’s Skyforce season finale with a knee injury, with Sioux Falls failing to advance to the playoffs.