What March means for the Miami Heat and their playoff hopes

The Miami Heat are in need of a push, and March will decide their season.

A 131-113 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers was not what the Miami Heat needed, but this is the biggest month of the season.

In light of the playoffs creeping upon us, the Heat are currently ranked eighth in the Eastern Conference. While sitting in the last playoff spot, there are some great opportunities to climb up the rankings this month.

The next week and a half alone will make a major impact on the East standings and where the Heat will be. Saturday’s game against the Detroit Pistons is the first step of securing a place in the playoffs. The Pistons are currently two and a half games behind the Heat.

A Miami win not only helps create that separation between eighth and ninth place, but it evens the series at two-a-piece with Detroit.

Monday’s game against the Phoenix Suns should also be able to help the Heat in the win column. Even while sitting at 19-44 on the season, it becomes a bigger game for the Heat; they have to beat the teams they’re supposed to (the Suns being one of them), if they expect to be a factor in the playoffs.

The toughest stretch

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The next handful of games are vital for the Heat to gain some ground in the East. Two games against the Washington Wizards and one with the Philadelphia 76ers, will be the make or breaking point for the Heat.

While four games back of the Wizards, winning both games would help the Heat climb the ranks.

Those four games are the difference between eight and fourth place right now. If the Heat can’t win both, they have to win at least one. Right now the Heat leads the series 2-1 over the Wizards. One win would secure the season series for Miami.

And then there are the 76ers; maybe one of the most interesting series for the Heat this season.

If total points in a series mattered, the 76ers, currently 2-1 against the Heat, would only be leading by seven points. The last two games were only decided by one possession each. The last one included a little Dwyane Wade magic.

The 76ers, sitting in sixth, are only two games ahead of the Heat. Not only would a win move the Heat up the standings, but it would even the series as well.

The rest of the month has five contests with opponents who currently are under .500 for the season. A handful of those teams have already committed to tanking, unless NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s recent message changes their minds of course.

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Things could play out nicely if the Heat play their cards right, with only 21 games left in the season and 16 of those in March. Four and a half games separate third and eighth place, which leaves quite enough room to shake things up before the playoffs.