Following a rough stretch of basketball for most of March, the Miami Heat are starting to show signs of life.
The resurgent Heat go for their fourth straight victory Saturday when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers in the opener of a three-game road trip.
Miami (32-41) lost 10 games in a row from March 5 to March 21 with seven of those defeats coming at home. However, the Heat have rebounded to post three consecutive victories by double figures.
Most recently, the team topped the Atlanta Hawks 122-112 on Thursday as Tyler Herro scored 36 points on 13-of-17 shooting. Bam Adebayo added 12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals as the Heat remained on the heels of the Chicago Bulls for the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
The ninth- and 10th-place teams will meet in the opening contest of the play-in tournament next month.
“We didn’t let go of the rope,” said Adebayo, who had not posted a double-double in any of his previous eight contests. “We’ve been preaching that since we’ve been on that 10-game losing streak. You never know what can happen. We didn’t let go, and now we’re streaking.”
While Adebayo continues to be a steady presence, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra was particularly impressed with Herro’s offensive night. Spoelstra noted that he did not call any offensive plays for the dynamic guard, instead allowing Herro’s offense to come entirely through the natural flow of the game.
“He’s learning how to manipulate when guys are really being aggressive with him,” Spoelstra said, adding “that’s great growth to see.”
Herro has shot at least 50 percent from the floor in seven of the last 10 games, and he is 10 of 15 from beyond the arc over the last three contests. He is averaging a career-high 23.6 points while shooting a career-best 46.7 percent from the floor.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia (23-50) is one loss away from being eliminated from playoff contention. The team has lost six games in a row amidst a flurry of injuries to stars and role players, leaving the Sixers as short-handed as any team in the NBA.
The team’s most recent defeat came Wednesday in a 119-114 home setback against the Washington Wizards.
“We chased it uphill for most of the game,” said Sixers coach Nick Nurse, whose team allowed 45 points in the first quarter. “Closed it down a couple of times, (but then it) got away from us again.”
Quentin Grimes (22 points) and Guerschon Yabusele (21) were the top scorers for Philadelphia, which continues to rely on a bevy of young players, including undrafted rookie Justin Edwards. The University of Kentucky product delivered 19 points and 10 rebounds against Washington – his first career double-double – and has scored in double figures in seven consecutive contests.
“We really need him to keep doing that,” Yabusele said. “Especially at the time we’re at right now, we really need to keep pushing.”
The Heat have won the first two matchups between the teams, who will also meet April 7 in Miami to conclude their season series.
