Category: Miami Heat

MIAMI — The sizzle also has substance. Not only is it now eight wins in the last 10 games for the Heat, but with ample quality wins to add substance to the surge. Sunday night it was a rousing 121-110 decision over the East-leading Detroit Pistons to follow up Friday night’s victory in Charlotte over the streaking Hornets and last weekend’s home victory over the West-contending Houston Rockets. Shorthanded yet again, the Heat still remained in a comfort zone as they extended their winning streak to five, consistently a step ahead of the Pistons. So even with Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins...

MIAMI – On many other nights, the Miami Heat might have reached the point of peril. Against the Brooklyn Nets, adversity merely proved to be an inconvenience Thursday night for Erik Spoelstra’s team. So even with Bam Adebayo in foul trouble, with Norman Powell sidelined, and with an unexpected deficit in the third period, ultimately a 126-110 victory over the tanking Nets, the Heat’s sixth victory in their last eight games. With Adebayo mostly a second-half spectator, the Heat got more than enough from replacement big man Kel’el Ware to make the fourth quarter largely ceremonial. In backing...

MIAMI –The subset of the standings has begun for the Miami Heat – also known as the fighting chance provided by the NBA. Over these final six weeks of the season, as the Heat fight to avoid the play-in round for a fourth consecutive season, Erik Spoelstra’s team has been provided with two games against the Brooklyn Nets and three against the Washington Wizards, as in a Nets team now 15-46 and a Wizards team now 16-45. Step 1 came Tuesday night at Kaseya Center with a 124-98 victory over the Nets, with the teams to meet again Thursday on the Heat’s court. In no position for a misstep, the...

The victories over the New Orleans Pelicans, Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies that gave the Heat the three-game winning streak going into the week were window dressing against going-nowhere teams. The last two games, including Thursday night’s 124-117 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena, were the reality check for Erik Spoelstra’s team. In a game with significant impact in the playoff and play-in races, the Heat stormed back from a 16-point halftime deficit to a third-period lead, only to come up short in the fourth quarter for the second consecutive game, after losing...

For Pat Riley, it was Showtime again on Sunday in Los Angeles. This time his own showtime, with his statue unveiled in front of the Lakers’ Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles. On an afternoon of celebrity that included actor Michael Douglas and singer Michael McDonald among those in attendance, Riley not only had those who were part of his Lakers’ 1980s championship coaching tenure in attendance, but also several from his Heat era, including Heat championship guard Dwyane Wade and Heat owner Micky Arison. Riley intertwined several elements of his Hall of Fame coaching career into his...