BOSTON – So what if this is who the Miami Heat are, or at least can be, in the post-Jimmy Butler era?
What if the 10-game losing streak was, as coach Erik Spoelstra insisted, a period of discovery?
What if from the depths of the play-in round there can be yet another postseason breakout?
Why those questions now?
Because now there has been a statement victory, one against Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics.
Wednesday night the winning streak reached six with a 124-103 victory at TD Garden, a statement win even if the Celtics were without Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.
This wasn’t wiping the floor with the lottery-bound Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers or Washington Wizards during this streak. This wasn’t last week pushing past the perennially play-in Atlanta Hawks. This wasn’t last week beating a Golden State Warriors roster lacking Stephen Curry.
This was beating Boston with both of its best present.
So., yes, it just might be getting real, even if the standings say otherwise.
This was not only Tyler Herro with 25 points, nine assists and six rebounds. It wasn’t just Bam Adebayo with 21 points, six assists and five rebounds.
This was Spoelstra’s team playing eight and getting the best from all eight, including 19 points from Kyle Anderson and 16 from Pelle Larsson.
For the Celtics, there were 24 points from Brown but only 16 from Tatum, who struggled to 4-of-17 shooting, largely against the defense of Larsson.
So, at 56-20, the Celtics move on to better days. But at 35-41, the Heat slowly are creating better days of their own.
Five Degrees of Heat from Wednesday night’s game:
1. Closing time: The Heat led 29-22 after the first period and 59-45 at halftime.
A wild third quarter followed, with the Heat pushing their lead to 22, the Celtics rallying within three, with the Heat then pushing back to a 91-81 lead entering the fourth.
The Celtics then made it a five-point game early in the fourth, before the Heat pushed to a 15-point lead midway through the final period.
From there, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla hoisted the white flag with 5:02 to play, pulling Tatum, Brown and Derrick White with his team down 111-96.
2. Adjustments required: Not only were the Heat shorthanded, but they then were forced to shuffle their rotation when Adebayo was forced to the bench with his second foul with 5:37 left in the opening period.
Spoelstra unsuccessfully challenged that second Adebayo foul, left without a challenge the balance of the night.
But even with the game opening a back-to-back set, Spoelstra kept the rotation tight, with an eight-player first-half rotation until it was decided, with Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Terry Rozier out of the mix.
