The Heat losing streak is at ten. The most since the 2008 season when Shaq got traded and their record finished 15-67. Losing sucks. Especially, when you see good things happening but the team can’t “finish” and win. Conversely, this period is important because as a fan, you appreciate when the team “learns to win” and does so often.
Rockets are a good team
The Rockets were third in the West coming into Friday night. They were on an eight-game win streak. Fred Van Vleet is a “Heat Killer” and scored 12 in the third quarter to cut the lead. Then sparked the Rockets to an 8-2 run to start the fourth. The team has grown since they last played in Houston.
Fred Van Vleet showed good leadership with the quote below (from an article in the Houston Chronicle) when the Heat closed the deficit to six points in the fourth quarter.
“I think we get a little scatterbrained at times and the game gets a little funky,” VanVleet said. “Whether it’s calls or turnovers or whatever, we kind of can get a little discombobulated. … So three-minutes game, let’s focus, not turn the ball over, get good shots and get some stops. And that’s actually what we did.”
Heat have problems
Andrew Wiggins returned from a leg injury and scored 30 points. However, Houston outrebounded Miami by 12 and capitalized with a 23-8 advantage in second-chance points. The biggest problem was in getting to the foul line. The Heat took 14 foul shots and two in the fourth quarter.
Obviously, the Heat don’t have a team that can “run up and down the court” with any other team and win. Houston was terrible from the foul line going 10 for 21. That will come back to bite them in the playoffs. The Heat took seven shots from three-point range in the fourth and only made two.
Tyler Herro, made a lot of hub-bub against the Rockets this season and Amen Thompson. The Rockets made him the target of their defensive game plan and he scored eight points on 3 of 11 shooting. They took him out of the game.
The Heat shot 52% for the game, frustratingly. They shot 56% from two-point range for the game. They shot 25% from three-point range in the second half going 4 for 12. So, going to the foul line is very important for this team. Andrew Wiggins only scored eight points in the second half, so he disappeared.
Reality Show week
The Heat play Charlotte tomorrow. They will try to end the losing streak but Charlotte beat Miami recently. Then on Tuesday, the Heat will feel like they’re back in a bad reality show. Jimmy Butler and the surging Warriors will come to the Kaseya Center. Jimmy Butler will be beaming as he has landed in a great situation with Golden State.
He will no doubt, try to “stick-it” to the Heat with taunting and sarcastic smiling. The Heat should exorcise the demons he created with his temper tantrum this season by beating the Warriors. It will be cathartic for the team.
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