The Miami Heat have gone through a tough stretch of basketball following the All-Star break. Although they have had some great wins against the 76ers and the Hawks, they have also had really bad losses against the Bucks and the 76ers, as well as a game they should have won against the Hornets.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks were on a nine-game winning streak prior to their latest slip-up against the Hornets. During this win streak, the Knicks defeated the Heat off of a Julius Randle game-winner despite excellent defense from Jimmy Butler.
This win streak has helped the Knicks surge into fifth place in the East, giving them a huge lead over the Heat. The Miami Heat are currently in seventh place.
After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last season, they could find themselves in the play-in games this season. Is it possible for them to avoid this position and move up in the standings though?
The answer is yes but they have little room for error. Every game is crucial now, so they cannot afford to play carelessly and lose games they should win.
Here are a few things the Heat can still do to avoid the play-in.
Can Miami Heat Fight Off The New York Teams To Avoid Play-In Scenario?
The first thing the Heat must do is close the gap between them and the Knicks. New York is playing the best basketball they have all season, but their winning streak has been closed.
The Knicks and Heat play each other two more times this season. The Heat must win both of those games.
The Knicks have already won the first two contests against the Heat. One more win would give them the tiebreaker over the Heat in the standings.
This is a difficult task considering how well the Knicks are playing right now. However, the Heat are a more experienced playoff team.
If they treat those games like playoff games, then they have a chance to win both games. That is easier said than done though.
One of those games is back-to-back in late March. Considering how close that is to the end of the regular season, it wouldn’t be surprising if Eric Spoelstra gives Jimmy Butler the night off for one of those games.
If that happens, the Heat might need to put together a winning effort without their best player.
The Miami Heat Don’t Only Have The Knicks To Worry About, But Brooklyn Too
The second team that the Heat must take care of business against is the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets traded away their superstar duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant before the trade deadline.
Losing that type of talent almost guarantees that a team will fall in the standings. That being said, the Nets are no joke.
The players they received in return for Durant have provided the team with better depth. While they have no true star player on the roster right now, Mikal Bridges appears to be a rising star for them.
The Nets will remain a competitive team, so they should not fall out of playoff position before the season ends. The Miami Heat are sitting two games behind the Nets for sixth place in the standings.
They play one more game against the Nets in late March. Just like the situation with the Knicks, this is a must-win for the Heat.
Not only do the Heat need to close the gap against the Nets but losing that game would yield the tiebreaker to Brooklyn. The last time the Heat played the Nets, Mikal Bridges dropped a career-high 45 points.
The Heat will need to do a much better job covering him. If they contain him, they should have a better chance of winning this game.
Time is running out this regular season. The Heat need to go on a winning streak now.
Being in the play-in almost guarantees them a first-round matchup against the Bucks or Celtics, which is not a favorable first-round matchup. Making it to the sixth spot would likely put them up against the 76ers, which isn’t the best matchup either.
However, Philly is a more favorable matchup than the Bucks or Celtics and it is certainly a series that the Miami Heat could win. To avoid any unfavorable first-round matchups, the Heat need to take care of their business concerning the boroughs of New York for the remainder of the season.