BOSTON – In defeating the flyweights, bantamweights and featherweights amid this five-game winning streak, the Miami Heat have shown they can pack a punch against NBA lightweights.
Not that the games against the Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Wizards weren’t exactly as needed in the immediate wake of a 10-game losing streak.
But now Erik Spoelstra’s team will have to punch up in class, amid the scramble for play-in seeding.
Because up next for the Heat are the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night at TD Garden, the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night at Kaseya Center and then the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Saturday night.
As in opponents that entered Tuesday a combined 149-84. As a means of comparison, the Heat’s last two wins have come against opponents a combined 39-111.
So a winning streak with heft or a winning streak crafted from lottery sewage?
Buckle-up time has arrived.
“I mean, we’ll find out,” Spoelstra said of his 34-41, ninth-place team. “Our guys are competitors, so they’re going to look forward to this. It’s not like we’re going to be ducking the competition or anything like that.
“But we’ve developed some much better habits, the process has been solid, guys are gaining confidence. I think all of this has built off the adversity and playing well. Hopefully, we give a real good shot at it in Boston.”
Largely, that has not been the case this season, with the Heat 9-26 against teams with winning records. The lone victory during this winning streak came against a Golden State Warriors team lacking Stephen Curry.
Still, Spoelstra said the newfound confidence could go a long way.
“What I believe is we’ve been playing playoff basketball for about seven or eight weeks,” he said of the team’s recalibration since Jimmy Butler first started acting out and then forced his trade to the Warriors. “All of these games have felt like pressure, stress, all of that.
“Now, the last three have not. But literally for several weeks in a row, every game had that playoff type feel and I think that does mean something.”
Now about to find out just how real. Because if the Heat are to advance to the playoffs through the Eastern Conference play-in chum of the Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks, it likely would mean a first-round series against the East-best Cleveland Cavaliers.
“It’s an opportunity for us,” guard Tyler Herro said of the upcoming schedule. “We’re on a five-game win streak. We’ve been through a bunch of different obstacles this year.
