By Joel Perez 
The Miami Heat went from possibly the worst stretch any team has had this NBA
season—losing 10 games in a row—to winning six straight, only to then unfortunately lose to the
Memphis Grizzlies on a Ja Morant buzzer-beater.
After hitting the game-winner against a scorching hot Heat squad, Morant had this to say in his
postgame interview with Taylor Rooks. When Rooks asked, “Ja, tell me everything about the last
possession,” Morant responded: “A pigeon was guarding me. Go get a bucket and win the
game.”
Although Ja’s game-winner was certainly a tough shot—and I’ve gotta give him credit for pulling
that off, especially with a seven-footer in front of him as he drove to the basket and most
definitely “stiff-armed” him to get the shot off—it was impressive. I can’t lie to you.
The Heat had some good wins during that six-game streak before last night’s loss, including
against the Boston Celtics and even the Golden State Warriors, which featured the long-awaited
return of former Heat superstar Jimmy Butler to Miami. They looked incredibly impressive in
both games, fueled by pure emotion and a strong will to win—for obvious reasons.
Against Jimmy, they needed to dominate to prove they don’t need him anymore to find success.
And against Boston—well, Miami vs. Boston is always a must-watch due to the rivalry and their
complicated playoff history, with each team knocking the other out en route to the Finals at
different points.
The win over the Warriors was especially fun to watch. Everyone on the team contributed, and
Bam Adebayo had major moments guarding Jimmy throughout the game while also showing off
his offensive versatility. The Boston game was another showcase for the supporting cast around
Bam and Tyler Herro. Kyle Anderson dropped a smooth 19 points, while both Davion Mitchell
and Pelle Larsson had standout moments—showing toughness, creating plays, and just
stepping up. Around the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla
pulled the plug, taking out the starters down 15, essentially conceding the game after realizing
they had no shot that night.
This Heat squad—regardless of last night’s outcome—seems to have found its identity after
going through what felt like hell and back, especially as the NBA media started to question the
franchise and its future during that 10-game losing streak. At this point in the season, the Heat
were probably locked into the 9 or 10 spot regardless of how many games they dropped,
considering how far back the 11th seed is. Toronto is purposely sitting out starters and has too
much of a “lead” on the Heat as far as better lottery odds go.
With all that being said, that 10-game stretch was dark. Honestly, I never want to go through
something like that again. It really makes me realize how lucky I am to be a Heat fan and not
rooting for a team like the Charlotte Hornets—or even the Sixers, where it’s just one unfortunate
circumstance after another and they can’t seem to catch a break. Those teams are used to
disaster situations… and I most certainly am not, fortunately enough.
The Heat have five games left in the season, including a matchup against Philly—who, as
mentioned, seem to be purposely trying to lose every game going forward—so that’s a
guaranteed win. Then there are two other tanking squads to close things out: the New Orleans
Pelicans and the Washington Wizards.
Regardless of how these next few games play out, the Heat are locked into a spot in the Play-In
Tournament, which runs from April 15 through April 18. We’ll see who survives and advances to
face either the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Boston Celtics in the playoffs. And to be honest… I’ve
got a strange feeling the Heat are gonna make it in—and possibly make some noise. I can only
hope.
Angel Rivera