Miami Heat And Houston Rockets On Opposite Paths Heading Into Friday Night

The Miami Heat continue their slump after a last-second loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Dec 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets are the tale of two paths recently in their active streaks.

Miami has lost nine in a row after dropping to the Detroit Pistons Wednesday night, the worst active losing streak in the league. Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets boast eight consecutive victories, the longest winning streak in the NBA.

Could the two streaks end Friday night? Or will they continue the recent trends?

The Heat have depleted after trading star forward Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors. They are 4-16 since the trade, featuring several blown double-digit leads or just plain blowouts.

The drive to find motivation is withering amid so many demoralizing defeats. But getting a victory over one of the hottest teams in the league can redirect the season's direction. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra spoke about remaining positive during these losses.

"The only thing that we have to do right now is just stay the course," Spoelstra said. "You have to stay with it. There's no way to explain some of this. The banked shot at the end, there's no way to explain that. You just have to find more resolve. We're all getting tested in so many different ways that we don't want to get tested. But there can be a beauty in these challenges and these tests, if we just continue to stay stubborn. This group just rallies around each other, and around the next challenge and the next game."

Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.

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