Spoelstra, Udoka have Heat and Celtics ready for East finals
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
MIAMI (AP) — Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka and Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra have enormous respect for each other and a bond that stems from their shared history in the sport. Both grew up in Portland and played in the West Coast Conference before getting into coaching. The two men will face off against each other starting Tuesday for the Eastern Conference’s berth in the NBA Finals. Spoelstra says the matchup makes sense because the teams were the best and most consistent in the East during the regular season. Spoelstra is in his 14th season coaching the Heat, while Udoka is a first-year head coach in Boston.