MIAMI — It is crunch time for the Heat.
With just four games to play, Miami is in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Although they are 10 games ahead of the 11th-place Bucks, a spot in at least the play-in is secure. But the Heat do not want to participate in the play-in tournament again, and they definitely do not want to be the No. 10 seed, which would force them to win two road games to advance. They want to get a top-six spot, skip the play-in tournament and earn a spot in the playoffs.
With two games against Toronto, which holds the No. 7 spot and is two games ahead of Miami, one game against current No. 5 Atlanta and one game at home against the dreadful Wizards left on the schedule, it is still possible.
The Heat kick off a crucial three-game road trip with a 7:30 p.m. contest against the Raptors in Toronto on Tuesday.
“(The team has a) great attitude,” guard Tyler Herro said Monday. “Vibes are high. It’s the best time of the year for us right now. We want to, obviously, make it into the playoffs, make a run. But we’re working on our defense right now, trying to get that … back on track and everything else, just trying to get right.”
Said forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.: “We’ve got four games left, and we’re going to try to make the most of it.”
Fortunately for Miami, it will be closer to full strength when it starts this road trip. Guard Norman Powell, who has missed four games as he recovers from an upper-respiratory illness, is expected to play. The Heat listed powell as probable on Monday.
“I’m feeling better,” Powell said Friday. “It was a long week of being sick, out of it, fatigue, body aches, not really being able to move or get out of bed.
Herro said Monday he will be back on the court for Tuesday night’s game; the Heat listed him as probable on Monday. He missed Saturday’s win against Washington for personal reasons. Forward Andrew Wiggins (left big toe) is also listed as probable. But Miami will be without forward Nikola Jovic, who suffered a sprained ankle late in the game on Saturday.
Despite missing Powell and Herro, Miami scored 152 points in its win over the Wizards. But Spoelstra reiterated that he is not worried about the team’s offense in this final stretch. The team has to improve its defense; the Heat allowed 136 points to the Wizards, who have won only 17 games this season.
“Whether guys are in or out, we’re getting way more consistent to our principles, putting up points, playing in transition, sharing the ball,” Spoelstra said. “We know what the deal is. Our offense has just been exploding, and our defense needs to be better. We all know it and we work on it. Everybody’s been very intentional about it.
“I have four games to really continue to hone in on these habits that we already have. It’s not like we’re trying to recreate habits. These habits have been there for months, but the level of play also league-wide is going up. What we were doing in December or January is not enough for what’s happening right now. Teams are really playing with desperation and urgency. Now we just have to meet that challenge.”