The Miami Heat's 119-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night was a gut punch, extending their losing streak to five games.
Bright side? No fourth-quarter collapse.
Hooray!
No. Instead, the Heat never even had a lead to blow. They were outplayed from the jump, getting outshot, outmuscled, and outrebounded by a Clippers squad missing Kawhi Leonard and flying in on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Heat made Ivica Zubac look like prime Shaquille O'Neal. The Clippers big man dominated to the tune of 26 points and 14 rebounds on 75% shooting. Neither Bam Adebayo nor Kel’el Ware had an answer for Zubac's physicality inside.
Speaking of Bam, this felt like a regression to his slumping early-season form. Zubac thoroughly outplayed the Heat's star center, who struggled to establish position and failed to make his usual impact. It was reminiscent of past matchups where Bam would get bullied by bigger, bruising centers.
But hey, at least Pelle Larsson provided a spark off the bench! The rookie was the lone bright spot, diving for loose balls and injecting some much-needed energy. His hustle play in the third quarter, battling for a loose ball at halfcourt and eventually finding Terry Rozier for a three, ignited the crowd in a way we haven't seen in weeks.
The Heat's offense looked completely flummoxed by the Clippers' defensive scheme. Los Angeles flattened out Miami's pick-and-roll attack and hounded Duncan Robinson all night. Even Tyler Herro's 30-point outing felt like empty calories in the grand scheme of things.
At this point, it's fair to wonder if this Heat team has simply forgotten how to win. The new-look roster has never sustained success together, and that lack of cohesion is glaringly apparent.
Larsson’s play was inspiring, but also depressing when you realize that what used to be standard Heat Culture - diving for loose balls, making the extra effort - is now the exception rather than the rule.
“The most inspiring moments were when Pelle came in,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He had the crowd really inspired, the team inspired and we just need a whole lot more of that — one through 15 — all the way through.”
As the Heat embark on a brutal upcoming stretch, including matchups against Boston, Memphis, and New York, things may get worse before they get better. At 29-36, Miami is staring down the barrel of a potential 10-game deficit under .500 by month's end.
The silver lining? Well, at least they didn't blow another fourth-quarter lead. Hard to squander what you never had in the first place.