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Hot under the collar Heat's Riley unhappy with first-round schedule
Posted: Thursday April 20, 2000 08:28 PM
MIAMI (AP) -- Coach Pat Riley is unhappy that the Miami Heat's best-of-five playoff series against the Detroit Pistons will be spread over 13 days to accommodate television. The series opens with games in Miami on Saturday and Tuesday. The teams have three days off before Game 3 in Detroit, then three more days off before Game 4, also in Detroit. "We are subject to the gods of television, but to stretch this out over two weeks is absolutely insane," Riley said Thursday. "It's losing its competitive edge. It's allowing guys to have more preparation. It's allowing people to almost get bored. You've made them wait all year long, 82 games, and now you're going to make them wait two weeks to get through five games?" Riley complained even though the schedule could benefit the Heat because it gives point guard Tim Hardaway more time to recover from a foot injury. The Heat coach also is displeased that his team is opening the NBA playoff schedule at 12:30 p.m. EDT Saturday. The Heat played their final regular-season game Wednesday night at Charlotte. "We don't have a day to really let the players rest mentally," he said. "But it's decided, so we'll be ready."
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