What We Learned: The Heat win against bad teams
Miami will almost always take care of business against teams below .500. They’re 10-1 against those with losing records, extending that streak against the Hornets. Head coach Erik Spoelstra’s squad has been able to keep its poise and knock off teams in games they're favored.
This largely has to do with a veteran presence in the locker room and an experienced coaching staff that knows every game counts. While most of the Heat’s games are dog fights, they’re able to win those battles against struggling rosters.
There may have been some key pieces out for the Heat (Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Haywood Highsmith all remain sidelined), but the bench was able to pick up the pace and hold onto the victory in the fourth quarter. Miami’s depth was a massive factor in its success, with Spoelstra having the ability to plug and play through the reserves.