The Miami Heat have lost their last three games against playoff contenders. Should fans be worried?
The Miami Heat’s losses on Thursday and Friday night seemed the same, save for the colour blue that their opponents were wearing.
A double-digit lead blown. an inability to close on the road against a team in the Western Conference. giving an All-Star a stage on which to present himself as the 2023–24 MVP candidate. An old-timers performance that had many scratching their heads.
Should Heat supporters be concerned about Friday’s 107-100 loss to the Thunder and Thursday’s 114-108 loss to the Mavericks, given the imminence of the NBA playoffs? Following a recent loss against the Denver Nuggets, these losses occurred. The Heat have fallen short against postseason teams in their last three games.
On Friday night, head coach Erik Spoelstra declared, “We’ll get better from this.”
There is nothing unusual about losing to top teams. According to Cleaning the Glass, Miami has the 20th-worst record in the NBA (3-17) when playing against teams with a top-10 point differential. This shouldn’t feel at all unnerving. This is the team they must overcome in order to exact revenge for their NBA Finals loss the previous season. Who gives a damn about how they play Sunday night at home against the fading Wizards or in the future versus the NBA’s bottom dogs?
Although the recent victories over the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Orleans Pelicans came before Kevin Love and Tyler Herro’s injuries, fans can still find some comfort in those victories.
Maybe they could have stopped the Thunder from going on a 17-0 run in the third quarter to cut an 11-point hole, or they could have changed the tide in the fourth quarter by preventing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from scoring 10 of his 37 points in the last 3:04 to grab the lead. Gilgeous-Alexander’s step-back three to give the Thunder a 104-97 lead with 1:36 remaining was the game’s most memorable moment. He remained motionless, staring at his dagger while Terry Rozier of the Heat staggered to the finish.
The same song and dance Luka Doncic did the night before when he scored a 35-point triple-double included the stepback, the dagger, the thunderous applause from the fans, and the eventual Heat loss.
Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.
Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.