MIAMI — The Heat have been here before, and not only from the vantage point of another trip to the play-in round directly ahead.

This time the similarities run deeper.

Even with the seven losses in eight games before Monday night’s breakthrough against the Philadelphia 76ers, Erik Spoelstra’s team was aware of how March sadness still could turn into something better.

A year ago, it was a 10-game losing streak in March, one that had the Heat left for dead in the wake of their trade of Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors.

And then a late-season turnaround, with victories in eight of their final 12 of the regular season, followed by a pair of play-in victories and the franchise’s sixth consecutive trip to the playoffs.

In that case, misery turned into something less miserable (at least until the start of the playoffs).

While the runaway for a similar turnaround is not quite there this time around, with the April 12 regular-season finale rapidly approaching, there at least is the hope that can be taken from a year ago at this time.

“For sure we remember,” guard Davion Mitchell said, with the Heat hosting the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night at Kaseya Center in the second game of a three-game homestand. “Us losing games, we learn something from it. That’s how we take it. That’s how we have to take it.

“Even the losing streak we had last year, we took from the losses. They weren’t horrible losses.”

Until Monday night’s bounceback against the 76ers, there assuredly was a degree of horrible this time around, first allowing a franchise record 149 points to the Cleveland Cavaliers last Friday at Rocket Arena and then falling Sunday to the NBA-worst Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

But, still, nothing like 10 consecutive losses a year ago, the Heat going from March 5 until March 21 without a victory last season.

“Like last year, at this time of year, it’s a lot of teams, not just us, fighting for a certain thing,” said forward Andrew Wiggins, who, like Mitchell, arrived in February 2025 at the NBA trade deadline in the Butler deal. “And it’s a competitive last stretch that every team has, and everyone wants to come out on top.

“Last year was last year, but that’s what we’re working toward. We know what we can do. We know what we’ve got to do to get there.”

Last year’s skid led to a 37-45 record. This year, it never got that bad, with last season’s win total in the rearview mirror amid this homestand that closes Saturday against the Washington Wizards, in the Heat’s penultimate home game of the regular season.

The next goal is to one-up last season at least in terms of play-in seed. At No. 10 at the start of last year’s play-in round, it meant having to win twice without a loss just to get into the playoffs, a feat accomplished first with a decisive road victory over the Chicago Bulls, followed by a harrowing overtime road victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

This year, there still is time to potentially get to the Nos. 7-8 play-in game, which would afford two chances for a single win needed to advance to the best-of-seven opening round of the playoffs.

While the Heat already have addressed plans for postseason tickets, another No. 10 finish potentially could mean no more 2025-26 action at Kaseya Center after that April 12 regular-season finale against the visiting Hawks.

“We feel like we’re better than what we’ve been the last two weeks,” Spoelstra said.

“Our backs are against the wall. Everybody knows what the deal is. We need everybody in that locker room.”

NBA Play-In Tournament

When: April 14-17.

Format: No. 10 in each conference plays at No. 9, with the loser eliminated and seeded into the NBA draft lottery based on regular-season  record.

In that same opening round of the play-in, No. 8 in each conference plays at No. 7, with winner of that game receiving the No. 7 playoff seed and facing the No. 2 playoff seed in the best-of-seven opening-round of the playoffs.

In a last-chance game, the loser of the Nos. 7-8 game hosts the winner of the Nos. 9-10 game, with the winner of that matchup facing the No. 1 playoff seed in the best-of-seven opening-round of the playoffs. The loser of that game is seeded into the NBA draft lottery based on regular-season record.

Presumptive matchups: Detroit is expected to be the No. 1 seed in the East, with Boston as the No. 2 seed. If the Heat finish the regular season at No. 9 or No. 10 in the East, the only possible playoff matchup would be at the No. 1 seed.

Television: All play-in games are exclusively streamed on Prime Video. There is no FanDuel Sports coverage of the Heat beyond the regular season.

Playoffs: The best-of-seven opening round of the playoffs begins April 18.