(NBA) – Heat coach Erik Spoelstra remained both confident about his team’s chances and defiant that his group would respond following a 108-95 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night. Despite the fact that his team is now down 3-1, and facing a must-win Game 5 on Monday night in Denver, Spoelstra remained steadfast in the belief that his team was “built for this”, and would respond the same way it has so many times throughout the post-season in the wake of adverse circumstances.

“I told the guys, feel whatever you want to feel tonight,” Spoelstra said. “It’s fine. You probably shouldn’t sleep tonight any amount of time; I don’t think anybody will. We have an incredibly competitive group. We’ve done everything the hard way, and that’s the way it’s going to have to be done right now, again. All we are going to focus on is getting this thing back to the 305; get this thing back to Miami. And things can shift very quickly.”

The Heat became just the second No. 8 seed in NBA history to advance to the Finals after defeating the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, but now they face a similar fate as the New York Knicks, who were the first No. 8 seed to make the Finals but ultimately lost to the San Antonio Spurs in five games in 1999. Spoelstra remains firm in his conviction, because he has watched his tough-minded group find ways to win no matter what adversity it has faced.

“It’s going to be a gnarly game in Denver that is built for the competitors that we have in our locker room,” Spoelstra said. “By the time we are getting on that plane, all we’re thinking about is get this thing back to Miami.

“We get an opportunity to play a super competitive game in a great environment. That’s going to be an awesome environment. Our guys are built for that. They love that … We understand what the narrative will be, but that’s the way it is with our team.”

Heat star Jimmy Butler echoed that confidence while reiterating his own belief that the group will find a way to extend the series.