Ah, the Miami Heat. They had us all fooled, didn't they?
Leading by 21 points, it seemed like they were on their way to a glorious victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder. But then, like a bad plot twist in a soap opera, the fourth quarter happened. The Heat managed to score a grand total of eight points. Yes, you read that right—eight points. It's like they decided to take a collective nap while the Thunder turned into a defensive juggernaut.
Now, before we start pointing fingers at coach Erik Spoelstra, let's take a moment to appreciate the Thunder's defense. They were like a pack of wolves, forcing six turnovers in the fourth quarter alone. Lu Dort was out there snatching the ball from Tyler Herro like he was taking candy from a baby. It was a defensive masterclass, and the Heat were left looking like they were trying to solve a Rubik's Cube blindfolded.
The Heat's fourth quarter issues continued as they cost them a signature win in Oklahoma City.
But let's not let the Heat off the hook entirely. This isn't their first rodeo with fourth-quarter collapses. In fact, they've managed to score in single digits in the fourth quarter three times this season. It's almost as if they're trying to set a record for the most creative ways to lose a game.
There have been four single-digit fourth quarters in the NBA this season. The Heat has three of them.
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) February 13, 2025
So, what's the solution? It’s time for the Heat to find their identity. Jimmy Butler isn’t around (and wasn’t before he was traded, to be fair) to bail them out. They need a go-to guy, someone who can take over in crunch time. But that’s a job for the offseason.
Until then, they need to at least land on a go-to play. When the Thunder are in a crunch, we know what they’re going to do: Run a small-small pick-and-roll for MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on offense and dial up the aggression to 11 on defense.
Let me ask you this: What’s the Heat’s go-to play in crunch time?
Anyone?
You can’t answer because they don’t have one. I rewatched the fourth quarter twice on Thursday morning so that you didn’t have to. Spoelstra ordered the entire menu as if he were reviewing a restaurant for Instagram. Andrew Wiggins pick-and-roll? Check. Davion Mitchell pick-and-roll? Yep. Tyler Herro dribble handoffs? Got it.
None of it worked.
As the Heat toggled through their options, they were noticeably indecisive on the court. Players hesitated on their shots.
Passes were late and often deflected.
It’s easy for a team like the Thunder to know what they want to do when they have a top dog like Gilgeous-Alexander. The Heat don’t have an ace scorer quite like that. Bam Adebayo can look like it at times, but we know by now that that’s not his game. Herro has been in a bit of a shooting slump and looked slowed by a stomach illness that nearly kept him out of Wednesday night’s game.
In the end, the Heat's fourth-quarter woes are a symptom of a lack of talent, time to gel and decisiveness. Critique the rotations, various coaching decisions and the officiating if you want, but sometimes it’s simple. The Heat just need to play better for 48 minutes.