'I apologize to absolutely no one': Heat HC Erik Spoelstra blasts critics of Bam Adebayo's historic performance

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo's performance against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday was one of the best we have ever seen in a game in NBA history.

Not only did Adebayo break the Heat's single-game scoring record of 61 points, which was set by LeBron James in 2014, his 83 points surpassed the late Kobe Bryant's 81 for the second-most in league history, only trailing Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain's famous 100-point outing in 1962.

Adebayo also set NBA records in free throws made (36) and attempted (43) and was even quadruple-teamed by the Wizards in the closing moments of the game. What rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, though, was the decision to foul Wizards players on four occasions in the final minutes to ensure that Adebayo would get as many opportunities as he could to add to his scoring output.

Erik Spoelstra claps back at critics of late-game decision-making in Bam Adebayo's historic performance

When asked during his press conference ahead of Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks (27-38) what he thinks of those who did not like the way the final minutes of that game played out, the Heat head coach was short and to the point.

"I apologize to absolutely no one," Spoelstra said, per Sports Illustrated's Brady Hawk. "Period."

It is no secret that the Wizards (16-49) have been one of the worst teams in the league this season and did not pose much of a challenge to the Heat coming into Tuesday night's game.

While that is true, the Heat (38-29) were without Norman Powell, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins and Kel'el Ware — four of their top-six scorers this season — which put even more of an emphasis on Adebayo to carry the team.

“Most of the people that made comments didn’t even watch the game. That’s unethical," Spoelstra continued.

Regardless of how you feel about the closing stretch of the game, the three-time All-Star should be applauded for his record-shattering performance, no matter the opponent and how the game ended.

"Everything was fairly conventional," Spoelstra said. "There was a goal in mind when that clock hit two minutes to chase a mark that may never be achieved again, and anybody that is involved with the game of basketball would jump at that opportunity if it was ever presented."

Sure, it was unusual for Adebayo to not check out of the game until their was 1:08 remaining in the blowout win. However, it is not often that a player puts together a performance that will forever be a part of NBA history.

With seven consecutive wins, the Heat are in the midst of a late-season turnaround after a slow start to the season. The health of the team is of the utmost importance during the final stretch of the season, but Adebayo's all-time performance should not be lost in that.

Regardless of those who disagree with the handling of the game's final minutes, Adebayo's unlikely outburst deserved all the recognition that it got. It was one of the best performances in league history and one that Spoelstra did everything he could to maximize.