Miserable Month: Ranking Brutality Scale of Losses During Miami Heat's 1-8 March

This season has indeed turned into a disaster for Miami, and it is every bit as bad as it seems.

Only the Jazz (0-8), Nets (1-7) and Mavericks (1-7) have been on the Heat’s level (1-8) in March. Miami’s 125-91 loss in Memphis helped equal the team’s longest losing streak since the nightmare 2007-08 season that featured four separate losing streaks of seven games or longer en route to a 15-67 record.

The Heat dropped seven straight last season (Jan. 17-29), losing all but one of those games by at least nine points. The team recovered to finish 22-13 in the regular season, claimed the No. 8 seed in the play-in and lost to eventual Boston 4-1. We look headed down an eerily similar path, except for the fact winning 63 percent of their remaining regular-season games seems laughable.

Keep in mind that the Heat’s lone win came against Southeast Division cellar dwellers Washington (15-51), although the Wizards are now 5-3 in March after their Saturday night upset in Denver.

Before we see if Miami does indeed register its longest losing streak in 17 years on Monday at Madison Square Garden, let’s examine how bad March has truly been by ranking the month’s setbacks from most acceptable to ugliest.

Spoiler alert: Saturday night’s loss didn’t inspire much confidence.

8. March 5: L 106-104 at Cavs - There are no such things as moral victories, but the Heat had to be encouraged by Bam Adebayo’s 34-point, 12-rebound performance and an incredible effort on the road without Tyler Herro. An ESPN audience saw Miami play with heart, rallying from an early double-digit deficit to take a seven-point lead midway through the fourth. Unfortunately, Donovan Mitchell and DeAndre Hunter made huge shots down the stretch and a potential game-tying 3-pointer from Duncan Robinson was waved off because he stepped out of bounds, helping the Cavs win their 12th straight.

7. March 2: L 116-112 (OT) vs. Knicks - The Heat raced out to a first-quarter 10-point lead en route to a 62-45 halftime edge, looking every bit an Eastern Conference contender even without Andrew Wiggins. Unfortunately, another blown lead helped set the tone for the dismal times to come as Miami couldn’t get a stop when it needed to late in regulation or in the extra session.

6. March 7: L 106-104 vs. Timberwolves - This is the last spread Miami has covered (+3.5), and one could argue the last loss anyone could see any silver linings in. Despite Wiggins and Kel’el Ware missing the game, the Heat led in the fourth quarter and had a chance to win on a Bam Adebayo 3-pointer at the buzzer.

5. March 14: L 103-91 vs. Celtics - The Heat fell behind early, but rallied to tie the defending champs at halftime. They took a 1-point lead on a Wiggins free throw in the fourth quarter’s first minute but were ultimately outscored 25-13 the rest of the way.

4. March 8: L 114-109 at Bulls - After another strong start fueled by 36 first-quarter points and a lead that also ballooned to 17, the Heat allowed Chicago to battle back, squandering a double-digit lead thanks to 16-5 run to open the fourth quarter. Miami was still up 105-102 with 2:47 left, but allowed new Bulls Tre Jones, Zach Collins and Kevin Huerter to make big plays down the stretch in an upset loss to its likely play-in opponent.

3. March 12: L 119-104 vs. Clippers - L.A. came through town on the second night of a back-to-back after an upset loss in New Orleans, sat Kawhi Leonard and remained without Norman Powell, yet still punished the listless Heat, racing out to a 20-10 lead and never trailing again. Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 30 points to help squash Miami’s rallies.

2. March 15: L 125-91 at Grizzlies - News that Ja Morant wouldn’t play came down close to tip-off, so the Heat had an opportunity to catch the Griz without its leader. Instead, they came out uninspired, surrendered a season-worst 72 points in the paint and were outrebounded 51-37. At one point, Miami trailed 101-69, which wasn’t very nice.

1. March 10: L 105-102 vs. Hornets - It’s going to be difficult to unseat this atrocity. After racing out to a 49-32 lead, Miami allowed Charlotte to claw back in a game where its star guard, LaMelo Ball, shot 2-for-12 from 3-point range. Herro nailed a clutch jumper with 1:00 left to wrestle back the lead at 99-98, but the Hornets were more clutch from that point forward as boht Herro and Adebayo missed game-tying 3-pointers. It was the most embarrassing collapse in a season filled with them.

Tony Mejia is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at tnyce1414@gmail.com