A Second Straight Win Could Help the Miami Heat Build Confidence on Road
For the Miami Heat, the season has been all about establishing consistency.
They have accomplished it in nearly every facet except one: becoming a better road team. The Heat are position to at least display they are close to making progress. They defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 115-108 Friday in the first of a two-game road trip. On Sunday, they have opportunity to make it two straight on the road against the San Antonio Spurs.
“This is one of two that we needed on the road,” guard Jimmy Butler said. “So let’s build on it.”
The Heat are just 11-11 on the road compared to a league-best 18-1 at AmericanAirlines Arena. Coach Erik Spoelstra said he noticed a stronger energy against the Thunder. That was absent when the Heat dropped consecutive games against the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, a pair of sub-.500 teams in the Eastern Conference.
“It’s so hard to win on the road even though when you get up and feel like you have control of the game, the home team is always going to make a run,” Spoelstra said. “This team [Oklahoma City] is too good, too well coached, too many good players. It’s not just going to be a run away down the stretch.”
The Heat need to establish an identity before it gets too late, especially with them competing for playoff seeding. At 29-12, they are No. 2 in the conference standings. This serves as the perfect time to build some road momentum. After the trip, they return home for a five-game homestand beginning Monday against the Sacramento Kings. A strong back-to-back showing here could bode well entering a five-game, West Coast trip before the NBA All-Star Break.
