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With 12-straight wins, the Miami Heat are inching closer to the NBA playoffs

By Ivan Mora

Feb 1, 2017; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat forward Willie Reed (L) Heat guard Goran Dragic (C) Heat forward James Johnson (third from left) and Heat forward Okaro White (R) laugh on the bench during the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at American Airlines Arena. Miami Heat won 116-93. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2017; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat forward Willie Reed (L) Heat guard Goran Dragic (C) Heat forward James Johnson (third from left) and Heat forward Okaro White (R) laugh on the bench during the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at American Airlines Arena. Miami Heat won 116-93. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Miami Heat’s 12-game win streak has set them up to be in the Eastern Conference playoff race down the stretch of the NBA season.

In what has to be the most unexpected, irrational season yet, the Miami Heat have won 12-straight games, winning more games in that stretch than the entire season prior. It has fans cheering and watching again. It’s been one of the best stories in the league. So how on Earth is this team pulling it off?

The main root of the Heat’s turnaround: Well, you can gratefully thank the main inhabitant of Waiters Island–Dion Waiters. Amazing comes short when trying to describe his play in his last 11 games (he missed last game versus the Bucks due to a sprained ankle). Waiters is averaging 21.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in that span.

What’s more impressive is that in seven of the last eight games he is shooting over 50 percent from three-point range. He continues to silence his critics, and in the most spectacular way.

Read More: Heat Sign D-League All-Star Guard

Of course, not all of Miami’s success can be directly attributed to their new starting guard. Their complete lineup has also been a major factor. Besides the obvious contribution of Dragic (averaging over eight assists in three of the last four games) and Whiteside’s dominance defensively (averaging close to three blocks per game), role players have seen increased minutes due to their compelling work.

You can see new synergy with this team from James Johnson’s incredible allure slithering into the hoop to Ellington’s vital three’s down the stretch. They are firing on all cylinders and at the moment are the team to beat in the East. They are arguably the best sub .500 team in NBA history. Or, at least, it feels like it.

So are they playoff bound? It’s tough to say at the moment, but they are not completely out of the picture. As it currently stands, the Heat are 10th in the Eastern Conference but just two games behind the eighth-place Detroit Pistons.

Leading this surge is head coach Erik Spoelstra. With a largely turned over team from last season, that has also suffered injuries to two main contributors Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow, he has reinvented his lineups and found a formula that works. He’s pushing his way into coach of the year conversations.

Next: Miami's mid-season transformation by the numbers

The Heat have a real shot at the playoffs now and, with just four games between now and the NBA All-Star break, things are setting up for a very interesting last half of the season.

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