Miami’s Erik Spoelstra will coach Team Durant in the NBA All-Star Game after the Heat clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference through Sunday, which was the cutoff.
This will be Spoelstra’s second stint as a head coach in the All-Star Game, having also coached the Eastern Conference in 2013.
The Heat are 34-20 (.630) so far this season, Spoelstra’s 14th as Miami’s head coach.
Spoelstra landed the spot over Chicago coach Billy Donovan when the Bulls lost to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday to end up half a game back of the Heat.
The Phoenix Suns‘ Monty Williams was announced last week as coach of Team LeBron for the Feb. 20 event in Cleveland.
Starters for the game were announced Jan. 27, with Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James selected as captains after leading the fan vote. The reserves were announced this past Thursday, and Durant and James will pick their teams this coming Thursday.