The Miami Heat stunned the Boston Celtics with a 36-point fourth quarter on Friday night. The dagger came via Gabe Vincent, who hit a 20-foot step-back jumper with just 35 seconds remaining. That left head coach Erik Spoelstra with an ear-to-ear grin.
But that smile quickly left Spoelstra’s face after the game when reporters peppered him with questions about the “undrafted” Vincent. It rubbed Spo the wrong way and he shot back in defense of Vincent and other undrafted players.
“So disrespectful to keep on talking about them that way. Gabe’s a veteran. He’s a seasoned veteran,” Spoelstra said, via Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. “He’s been with us since the bubble. That storyline is over. These guys have proven themselves as competitors and winning players.”
Vincent may have gone undrafted in 2018 but his buckets count just the same as any NBA superstar. His +20 in Game 2 led both teams and his clutch shot over Jayson Tatum, the third overall pick in 2017, spoke volumes.
If you can play, you can play.
Vincent has made a home for himself in Miami and if he keeps coming up big in key moments, he’ll be a reason the Heat are headed to the NBA Finals for just the second time since 2014.
