Miami Heat Enter Regular Season's Final Week With One Final Goal In Mind

The bottom line is the Miami Heat lost tight games to the Grizzlies and Bucks to realistically bow out of the Southeast Division title chase following 10 consecutive wins.

The defeats came without Andrew Wiggins, sidelined for both with a lingering hamstring injury. Tyler Herro absent on Saturday against Milwaukee, his hometown team, due to a thigh contusion. That he couldn’t get healthy enough to face the Bucks is a hint that Herro was in serious discomfort.

Miami lost to Memphis on a Ja Morant buzzer-beater and to Milwaukee in overtime. The Heat held fourth-quarter leads in both games, so that season-long issue remains, but considering they were shorthanded home underdogs, they could be proud of their fight. Miami’s effort was there.

“I thought our defense was really good, really active. I thought we were connected, making multiple efforts. Our guys are playing so hard,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said following the 121-115 OT loss to Milwaukee. “We’re getting better. We’re getting tougher. We’re not an easy team to score on.”

The reality is that the Grizzlies and Bucks did find ways to get buckets when it mattered most, but Miami did go allow it to protect its homecourt and made no excuses.

The final week of the regular season becomes entirely about beating out the Chicago Bulls for the No. 9 seed, which may be decided when the teams square off at United Center on April 9. Defeating the 76ers at home is the first mandate, regardless of who is in the mix and who remains sidelined. Games No. 81 and No. 82 are Friday in New Orleans and Sunday at Kaseya Center against the Washington Wizards. Expect Miami to be favored in both.

Spoelstra has never accepted moral victories, even when the Heat have been terrible. However, Saturday’s post-Bucks press conference sure sounded like a veteran coach attempting to make the best of a trying situation.

“I love the way our team is playing. I love the way we’re competing. I love not making an excuse (despite) guys out,” Spoelstra said. “This is a hard-nosed team, you know, right now. You just have to really stay the course. Nothing has dramatically changed. You want to win as many as you can coming down the stretch.”

Avoiding finishing No. 10, which would require a return trip to Chicago for the April 16 East play-in where the loser goes home, becomes Miami’s final regular-season goal. If the Heat can accomplish that and get Herro and Wiggins back for next week’s elimination games, they’ll have a chance to again dream of defying odds as a No. 8 seed.

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