Miami Heat went 3-0 in the three straight games they played on the road and all of them by double digit deficit. Head coach Erik Spoelstra thought they did not show toughness in these games.
“We just have to be overall tougher with everything. Not just physical toughness,” he said after their most recent loss which was against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I felt like we brought physical toughness, but the mental toughness when the momentum starts to swing the other way. It doesn’t have to be a 14-2 run. It can be half … We didn’t respond well, but we will get better at that.”
Heat fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves last Tuesday. They had Chicago Bull next on the schedule but it was cancelled due to court problems.
The next assignment was supposed to be easier as they faced the league’s worst team Indiana Pacers but they still got manhandled by them and were not competitive starting in the first quarter.
The last two losses happened despite the return of their 2024-25 top scorer Tyler Herro.
This rough stretch is an extension of what they had back in December when they went 2-8 in ten games.T
Erik Spoelstra gears up for important week
The Heat are now 20-19 into the season. They were at no. 3 back in December and are now in a familiar place again, the play-in.
They will play the next three games at home and they will be against teams that can measure their ability to compete.
Spoelstra said next week will be important for them.
“We know we have a very important week,” he said. “This road trip didn’t go the way we wanted it to, for a lot of different factors. We have a great opportunity this week at home. 3 good, competitive opponents.”
They will face Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, and Thunder again. It will be a 5-game West coast road trip for them after that.
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