USA TODAY International Edition
Heat on slow burn to playoffs
Two months ago, the Miami Heat were 11- 30 and on a fourgame losing streak. They had the second- worst record in the NBA and were looking at no worse than a top- five pick in a deep draft.
Then the Heat started winning, beginning with a 13- game streak.
They kept winning — 16 of 18 and now 21 of 26.
Since Jan. 14, the Heat’s .808 winning percentage is an NBA best, as they moved from 14th place in the Eastern Conference to tied for ninth, a half- game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the final playoff spot in the conference going into Tuesday’s games.
What in the name of Pat Riley happened?
“Everybody is looking for a defining moment. What turned the season around?” said the Heat’s Erik Spoelstra, a deserving coach of the year candidate. “There isn’t one moment, but the thing that is most gratifying about this group is that even when we were losing, everybody was still committed to coming in with a consistent approach every day to try and get better. We were building habits while losing, and you could see progress. You could see our team getting better.”
Maybe you didn’t see it. But Spoelstra did.
“We didn’t talk about the ( 1130) record,” he said. “We didn’t talk about anything other than improving.”
In the last two months, the Heat are:
No. 1 in three- point shooting percentage ( 40.3%).
No. 8 in field goal percentage ( 47.5%).
No. 3 in defensive efficiency, allowing 102.2 points per 100 possessions.
No. 6 in offensive efficiency, scoring 110.6 points per 100 possessions.
“The biggest thing was trying to figure out who your team was and is,” Spoelstra said. “We were trying to figure out how this team can play at its best. What are the team’s strengths? How can we get to that? What makes the most sense for this team?”
The Heat found it with defense and three- point shooting and a blue- collar approach that Spoelstra appreciates. During this hot streak, they are winning with players both expected and unexpected. Guard Goran Dragic is averaging 21.7 points since Jan. 14. That’s expected. Guard Dion Waiters is averaging 19.1 points and shooting 45.8% on three- pointers. That’s unexpected.
Center Hassan Whiteside is averaging 15.2 points and 14.1 rebounds. Expected. James Johnson is averaging 12.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Unexpected. Wayne Ellington is at 11.6 points per game. Expected. Okaro White is playing 15.5 minutes per game. Unexpected.
“The best part of this is that everybody has been involved — from the top of ownership to management to coaching staff and players,” Spoelstra said.