MIAMI —The locker room had emptied, most teammates having long showered and made their way to the team bus beneath Madison Square Garden.

But there in a corner sat Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell, still in various remaining degrees of game gear, yet to shower, conducting an autopsy of what had soured almost an hour earlier against the New York Knicks. To Adebayo’s left, Tyler Herro, inactive yet again, leaned in to join the discussion.

The losing has gotten real again for the Miami Heat, not quite to the level of last season’s 10-game losing streak, but close enough, with losses in seven of the past eight. The feel good of October and November has numbed into winter’s chill, the Heat now a middling 15-14.

“We have good stretches and runs, but like we got to learn and understand and see how we can extend those five, six, seven, eight, 10 minutes into 24 minutes, into 36,” Powell said, “We got to figure out how to continue to extend and keep the game working in our favor.”

So, right there in the second half on Friday night in Boston, and then not there at the end.

Right there in the second half Sunday night in New York, and then not there again.

Just like during the losses to the Dallas Mavericks and Orlando Magic during this slide in the standings.

And, yes, mad as hell.

And at least the coach not going to take it anymore.

“There has to be a competition level where it’s a competitive will to win,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, with the Heat back at it on Tuesday night at Kaseya Center against the Toronto Raptors.

Last year, with much of the same roster, save for Powell, the Heat regrouped from that 10-game losing streak to make their way to the playoffs.

This year, with many of those same faces, Spoelstra sees the resolve for a turnaround.

“I definitely see things,” he said. “But we’re not talking about moral victories or anything like that. We are developing a collective, competitive will, and these painful games eventually are going to be wins. We’re not happy about the result. We’re not trying to just play well and lose at the end. We’re developing a competitive, collective will.

“Our guys care in the locker room, but it’s got to be another level. It’s not enough. It’s got to be more. This league is a savage league. It’s survival of the competitive toughest, and that’s where we’re going to get.”

During this slog of seven losses in the last eight have come four of the nine highest-scoring games by individual opponents this season. On Sunday night, it was the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson with 47 points, on Friday night it was the Celtics’ Derrick White with 33 points, and before that there were 42 points by Zach LaVine in the hideous home loss to the Sacramento Kings and 37 points by Desmond Bane in the NBA Cup loss to the Magic.

Brunson’s performance is what Spoelstra said is the type that has to be met with similar fortitude.

“What I do know about Jalen Brunson is he’s an incredible competitor,” Spoelstra said. “And so if you want to beat a great competitor, you have to do above and beyond. It is possible. But you can’t just play well, and you can’t just compete well, you can’t just be there. You’ve got to put him away. You’ve got to put possessions away, and he’s going to put his imprint on it. That’s what great players do. He has a great knack for it. He’s relentless, and that’s where we’re going to get to.”

In Sunday’s mirror, in Sunday’s loss, Spoelstra saw what he wants to, needs to, see in his team.

“What you have to respect about the Knicks, you have to put them away every single possession,” he said. “You can’t leave anything to f-ing chance with that team ever. That’s what they do. What they have is a will to win. That’s what we are developing. We are going to get there, a collective will to win because we played the game well in certain stretches. But there has to be a competition level where it’s a competitive will to win, to overcome those things. They do it time and time again.”

Message heard.

Message received.

“We know what we’re capable of,” guard Davion Mitchell said. “There’s going to be ups and downs throughout the season. It’s 82 games, no one’s always on a high. I think right now we’re just going through it.

“But we’re playing hard, that’s the thing. We’re playing hard. It’s not like we’re quitting out there. I mean, Coach likes to see how hard we play throughout the game. It is what it is.”