How Heat feels 'alive' after 21-point Celtics beatdown for 6th straight win
Yesterday at 10:53 AM
The Miami Heat are trending in the right direction which was proven wholeheartedly on Wednesday night after beating the Boston Celtics, 124-103, to mark the team’s sixth straight win. While the Heat are locked for a play-in tournament spot, the team seems to be at their highest point of the season with this winning streak, especially after beating a team like the Celtics.
It now seems long ago that Miami was in the worst portion of the season as they lost 10 games straight, but the winning ways have returned despite the team missing key players like Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson. With the recent success, head coach Erik Spoelstra would mention how the “locker room is alive” and even felt that during the aforementioned skid according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
"We're just trying to take care of our business and continue to try to play well, compete hard, have this connectivity that's growing as this season is going on and prepare," Spoelstra said. "Our locker room is alive. It's been alive even when we were losing games just for this opportunity to compete, have these games matter, and grow together through all of this stuff."
Tyler Herro on how the Heat didn’t “fold” against the Celtics
While the Heat have blown many fourth-quarter leads this season, Wednesday’s was a seminal moment for the team as after being up double-digits, Boston found a way to dwindle their deficit to four points with 9:59 left in the final frame. However, Miami roared back tremendously, having a 28-13 run which gave them a commanding lead in the final few minutes, an aspect that Tyler Herro was proud to see.
"They made their run, we stayed together, we didn't fold, we didn't let go of the rope and we stayed in the fight," Herro said as he scored 25 points on seven of 18 shooting from the field to go along with nine assists and six rebounds.
Miami would score 33 in the fourth quarter the highest of the game as besides Herro and Bam Adebayo who had 21 points, the team had productive outings from others such as Pelle Larsson. The second-round rookie once again started and was impactful, as well as veteran Kyle Anderson who had 19 points.
"These fourth quarters, we've had to figure that out," Spoelstra said. "But this group really works at it. I really admire that locker room."
At any rate, the Heat are looking to solidify position in the play-in tournament as they try to lock either a seventh of eighth seed since it would take only one win to make the playoffs. If they end up in the ninth or tenth spot, they would need to win two games, both on the road if they finish in the latter.
Miami is currently 35-41 which puts them ninth in the Eastern Conference as they next host the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night.
The post How Heat feels ‘alive’ after 21-point Celtics beatdown for 6th straight win appeared first on ClutchPoints.
