MIAMI — In the quiet of the losing locker room, the quiet of a season in trouble, the newest member of the Miami Heat sounded as perplexed as those who have seen it all. Kevin Love said, sure, they started strong Wednesday with 38 first-quarter points against Philadelphia.
“But they had 34,” he said.
The defense, he said, wasn’t getting set against Philadelphia’s speed. And that hot offense? It suffered from what it’s suffered from all year as the night played out. The team that led the league in 3-point shooting last year defied logic again by making just 7-of-29 in Wednesday night’s lopsided loss to the Joel Embiid-less 76ers.
“We’re getting the looks,” Love said. “Just plain and simple, we need to hit shots.”
There’s only 19 games left for the Heat to make this season look better than it has in the first 63. That says there’s time. They have five consecutive home games starting Friday night against the streaking New York Knicks. That shows there’s opportunity, even if a team like the Knicks has won seven straight games.
Everything the Heat has been this season, perhaps everything they’ll ever be, was put on display in two games against Philadelphia across three nights. On Monday in Philadelphia, they showed who they can be on their best nights, playing good defense and shooting 40 percent on 3-pointers in a two-point win.
On Wednesday, they showed you who they are too much of the time in a 119-96 loss at home.
“Mental lapses,” Bam Adebayo called the problem.
The Heat covered their biggest hole by getting some size in the 6-foot-8 Love and 6-11 Cody Zeller. But the list of questions is long. Opponents have scored 99 more 3-pointers. There’s no starting-caliber point guard with Kyle Lowry out — and no consistent one with Lowry healthy.
Tyler Herro’s play looks as unsteady as the season. Jimmy Butler’s knee is hurting enough to pull him in a blowout like Wednesday. That’s something to watch with back-to-back games this weekend.
But the idea that the Heat can’t change this script is for people with no memory. The Heat finished fifth in the Eastern Conference in 2019-20. They were too old in some places then and too young in others. They certainly were too small. They’d never won anything together.
Playoff Jimmy, so different than Regular-Season Jimmy, arrived for the Heat to sweep Indiana. They beat a confused Milwaukee in five games, won the Eastern Conference finals against Boston and then lost to LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
They then came within Butler’s missed shot of the Finals last year when coach Erik Spoelstra squeezed everything from that roster. He’s still squeezing. The Heat rank second in defense. They rank last in the league in scoring. Can they start hitting shots? Maybe that’s the only question that matters.
“Guys like Jimmy and Bam are creating shots for us,” Love said. “We need to knock them down. That’s it. We shot the ball well last game, but it’s tough when you’re up and down like that.”
The Heat aren’t in the weight class of Milwaukee and Boston. They don’t want to be down with Atlanta and Toronto for the play-in playoff games.
They lost the first game of this six-game homestand. The Knicks bring their fun season to town on Friday.
“Let’s focus on the next five and take them game by game,” Adebayo said.
It’s not just a season at stake. It’s what’s coming next if things don’t change. Pat Riley and Spoelstra see all the cracks in this team, all the ways it’s frustrated through 63 games. They’ve shown the ability to make big moves when needed. Everyone will be a chip to move this offseason if nothing improves.
The next five games will indicate if things can change. Love has been here four games and understands.
“There’s a standard,” he said.
Team Up-and-Down needs to make some shots, play some defense and find its way, if it ever will this season.
