Winderman’s view: Couldn’t get worse for Heat? Hornets had other ideas

MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Monday night’s 105-102 loss to the Charlotte Hornets:

– And now cannot even vanquish a 15-49 opponent.

– One that now is 16-49 courtesy of the Heat.

– Oh, and it gets worse.

– Well, technically not worse, because this sure feels like rock bottom.

– But tougher, far tougher.

– What follows will offer the ultimate tell of where this all is headed for the Heat.

– (Is the No. 10 seed actually out of the question at this point?)

– The Clippers at Kaseya Center on Wednesday night (8 p.m., make note).

– The Celtics at Kaseya Center on Friday night (7 p.m., make note).

– Then on the road for games at Memphis and New York.

– Then back home for games against the Pistons and Houston.

– Before another home game that seemed like a reprieve against the Hornets.

– Successfully attack the upcoming schedule and hope yet could be restored.

– Because only with quality wins can get the Heat above .500.

– If even that.

– But this is about as low as it can go at the moment.

– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra spoke before the game of his team’s mindset in the wake of  Saturday night’s costly loss to the Bulls.

– “Well, the best thing about the NBA is it’s not very long before you get an opportunity to go out there again,” he said. “Our group has a great competitive character and spirit. Everybody was fine. If you’re not disappointed after a game like that on Saturday night, you don’t really have real competitors.”

– And, still, almost the same loss.

– In duplicate.

– Spoelstra had added, “But this morning, that’s the part that I really commend about this group. When it’s time to get to work and collectively try to figure out some solutions, get better, this group laces ’em up and gets right to work.”

– Didn’t matter.

– From Spoelstra, hope had remained ever present going in.

– “This is the business we signed up for. That’s why we have to continue to work on figuring out how to just get over the top,” he said earlier in the day. “There’s a lot more good things going on. We’re getting leads and playing well, but we need to handle those moments of truth better.”

– So another lead.

– And, again, nothing to show for it.

– Same as it ever was.

– Overall, Spoelstra had said pregame, “I think the habits and the things that we’ve been working on have been much better.”

– Or not.

– For the first time in eight games the Heat did not change their starting lineup, again opening with Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adebayo and Davion Mitchell.

– Albeit, that lineup entered 2-5.

–  Spoelstra spoke pregame of Ware not playing late in recent games.

– “He’ll definitely get his opportunities moving forward,” Spoelstra said. “Look, I get it, everybody’s gotten opportunities and if you lose games, the coach puts himself out there to be second-guessed, there’s no question about it. And then everybody else you can catch strays, as well. That’s part of the business.”

– Haywood Highsmith, who had been questionable earlier in the day with a knee contusion, was first off the bench.

– Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier then followed.

– With Jaime Jaquez Jr. making it nine deep.

– Pelle Larsson then entered in the second period as the fifth reserve.

– Mario Chalmers was among those in attendance.

– Herro extended his streak of games scoring in double figures to 86.

– Adebayo is now four assists shy of passing LeBron James for fifth place on the franchise all-time list.

– Wiggins is now six points from 14,000 for his career.