The Miami Heat have been on a five-game win streak as of late, the longest they’ve had since they traded away Jimmy Butler . The Heat have collected wins against a couple of playoff teams during that span (Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks). Because of how they’ve played in the last five games, the team credited how well they’ve played as a group.
During their stretch of winning games, the Heat have been the fourth-best offensive team in the NBA. Their defense has also been a great reason for their success. Miami is the second-best defense in the last five games. Overall, they’ve been the best-performing team as of late.
On Monday, the Heat had a 120-94 win over the Washington Wizards. Following the team’s victory, All-Star guard Tyler Herro talked about how their chemistry has been a great help for them as they try to improve their 34-41 record.
“It feels like we’re really connected,” Herro said. “It feels like everyone’s covering for each other and we’re all playing really well off each other right now.”
Additionally, the competition they’ve faced recently hasn’t been the best. On Wednesday, they’ll face one of the top teams in the league, the Boston Celtics. With their matchup against the defending champions, it will determine how good the Heat truly is.
Herro is looking forward for his team to use the current winning momentum against the Celtics.
“It’s an opportunity for us,” he said. “We’re on a five-game winning streak. We’ve been through a bunch of different obstacles this year. Everyone knows how hard it is to get a win in Boston. Just going up there with a five-game winning streak, we’ve built a lot of confidence throughout the last five games and we feel we have an opportunity get a tough win on the road.”
Miami Heat’s head coach believes the team is “trending in the right direction”
The recent winning record of the Miami Heat has improved their chances of being in the postseason. They’re ninth in the Eastern Conference and could secure a spot in the Play-In Tournament. This isn’t the first time the Heat will be in a situation where they have to fight for a playoff spot.
Erik Spoelstra, their head coach, knows what the team is capable of. That being said, this will be their first Play-In Tournament sans Butler. Despite this, Spoelstra is focused on the here and now and is positive about the team’s performance.
“We’re trending in a much better direction. It’s getting more consistent and we have something to play for and compete for. That’s always a good thing and we just want to get to a point where we’re ready, wherever that spot may be, that we’re not a team that anybody wants to face.”
The Miami Heat’s remaining seven games will pit them against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Memphis Grizzlies, two additional playoff teams, in addition to the Celtics.
