Heat slide reaches 10 with leads again botched in 102-98 loss to surging Rockets

MIAMI — No, not the type of double digits of choice.

But the double digits of reality.

So make it a 10-game losing streak for the Miami Heat, this time done in by an opponent with a streak of its own, the Houston Rockets extending their winning streak to nine with a 102-98 decision Friday night at Kaseya Center.

At 29-41, it officially means the Heat will go without a winning season for the first time since 2018-19, when they closed 39-43.

Combined with the Orlando Magic’s Friday night victory over the Washington Wizards, it makes it further likely that the Heat will be playing in the Nos. 9-10 Eastern Conference play-in opener, having to win two games without a loss to therefore qualify for the playoffs. The Heat last missed the playoffs in 2019.

The 10-game losing streak ties for the sixth longest in the franchise’s 37 seasons, the longest since an 11-game losing streak in 2007-08. The franchise record is the 17 at the team’s inception in 1988.

Even with Andrew Wiggins returning to Erik Spoelstra’s mix to score 30 and even with rookie 7-footer Kel’el Ware contributing 16 points and 14 rebounds, it wasn’t enough.

Not with Rockets guard Fred VanVleet shooting 9 of 11 on 3-pointers in a 37-point performance, his season high for 3-pointers.

The Heat’s next opportunity to snap the slide comes Sunday against the visiting 18-52 Charlotte Hornets, an opponent that won two weeks ago at Kaseya Center.

Five Degrees of Heat from Friday night’s game:

— 1. Closing time: The Heat led 27-23 after the first period and 59-51 at halftime, ending the second period on a 23-8 run.

The Heat then moved to an 11-point lead early in the second period, with double digits often their bane this season, the Heat entering the night having blown double-digit leads a league-leading 19 times in their previous 40 losses.

The Rockets eventually tied it in the third before the Heat went into the fourth up 80-78.

The Heat entered third in the league in blown fourth-quarter leads, with 17, one fewer than the league-leading 18 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets.

This time, more of the same, with the Rockets moving ahead 96-86 with 6:35 to play, the Heat unable to counter in the fourth.

— 2. Wiggins back: Wiggins, who has been dealing with leg and ankle issues practically since his Feb. 6 arrival, was back after missing the previous two games due to a calf contusion.

He was up to 22 points at halftime, on 7-of-8 shooting, with 20 of his points coming in his 7:37 in the second period. It was the highest-scoring quarter of Wiggins’ career.

It was Wiggins’ fourth 20-point game in his last six appearances, scoring 19 in one of those other two games.

He closed 10 of 13 from the field, 8 of 9 from the line.

— 3. Rotation remix: With Wiggins back, it had Duncan Robinson shuffled out of the opening mix. Spoelstra instead stayed with Jaime Jaquez Jr. as a starter, with Jaquez only playing his opening stints of the first and second halves.

Spoelstra further altered his rotation, with the first-period insertion of Kevin Love, the first action in eight games for the veteran center, and only the fourth time he has played since Feb. 5.

Alec Burks then was inserted for the first time in the game late in the third period, only his second action of the last nine games.

The remix had Terry Rozier held out for the second consecutive game and third time in the last five.

— 4. Ware-withal: Having struggled with his outside shot since some early-season sizzle, Ware drained a pair of feathery 3-pointers to help bail out the Heat offense.

Ware entered 5 of 35 on 3-pointers over his previous 20 appearances.

With a put-back dunk, Ware with 2:26 left in the third period, already had his third double-double in his last four games.

— 5. The countdown: Only Sunday’s game against the visiting Charlotte Hornets stands between the Heat and Tuesday night’s return of Jimmy Butler with the Golden State Warriors.

Butler will have ample time to make the rounds in South Florida, with the Warriors idle until Tuesday after Saturday night’s game in Atlanta.

Golden State, in fact, will remain in South Florida after Tuesday night’s game, not to play again next week until Friday in New Orleans.

Butler was dealt Feb. 6 to the Warriors in the trade the Heat landed Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, Kyle Anderson and a 2025 first-round pick.

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