With the Miami Heat preparing for the final two games in the regular season, the status of where they will fall in the standings is still up in the air. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke before the penultimate game of the season against the Toronto Raptors Friday and talked about where the focus of the team is at heading into a must-win territory.
While it may seem like Miami is locked in for a game in the play-in tournament, there is still an off-chance that they could sneak out of it and obtain a top-six seed, though it's unlikely. However, it involves a ton of variables regarding other teams' results, but Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints that while it's “human nature” to think about the standings, the goal right now is to win these last two contests.
“I think earlier on it was probably a lot of that, t's human nature, not right now,” Spoelstra said. “Based on what what this last week is like, has been like for us, there's just great clarity right now. We're just focusing on one game. There's nothing like the present moment.”
Asked Erik Spoelstra about how important is it for the team to focus on the next two games rather than the different scenarios in terms of the standings.
“Earlier on, there was probably a lot of that, it’s human nature…” #HeatCulture pic.twitter.com/p8SN8JekZQ
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) April 12, 2024
In term of injuries for Friday's game, two key players are out in Terry Rozier (neck; spasms) and Duncan Robinson (left facet syndrome). Rozier has missed the last three outings along with Robinson whose last game was against the Indiana Pacers on April 7.
Spoelstra stresses Miami has clarity
If there is one word that was repeated for Spoelstra during his media availability, it was “clarity” as the Heat know what they have to do to achieve victory. With two matchups against the Raptors at home to close out the season, Spoelstra said that he doesn't “know what other teams are doing” besides his own as he describes the team as having “clarity and simplicity.”
“I don't know what other teams are doing,” Spoelstra said. “We are, we're trying to win. So that's how we're approaching the game. There's clarity and simplicity.”
There are a ton of factors needed for the Heat to have success and repeat their magical run from last season where they went from the play-in tourney to the NBA Finals, but a prominent one is the production of Bam Adebayo. The big-man struggled last game as the Dallas Mavericks packed the paint as he finished with eight points and three rebounds, but there's no doubt he has the right mindset as his focus is on the Raptors.
“You never know what can happen,” Adebayo said. “The biggest thing for us to get these last two [games].”
Spoelstra is confident in his team to overcome massive hurdles
The loss to the Mavericks was a tough one as Miami controlling their own destiny slipped through their hands and now have to rely on other teams besides themselves to get out of the tourney. However, Spoelstra reaffirmed his confidence in the Heat, saying “we have a very competitive locker room.”
“We have a great group. We have a very competitive locker room or guys want, we all want the same thing. And sometimes, this league can really humble you, that's what happened tonight,” Spoelstra said. “So we're going to regroup and try to do that several times this year. We keep on finding a way to bounce back and that's what we're going to do, we're going to focus on on the next 48 hours to get ready for another battle. I don't really care what's going on in the standings. I just want our team playing the way we're capable of playing, and that's what we're going to do this last two games.”
Erik Spoelstra talks about the loss to Dallas.
“It wasn’t a matter of fatigue…we have a great group…sometime this league can really humble you…” #HeatCulture pic.twitter.com/PWPodyHuwW
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) April 11, 2024
According to Basketball Reference Playoff Predictor, the Heat have an 8.9 percent chance to get the sixth seed and 1.6 percent to get fifth. They have Miami getting the seventh seed at 41.2 percent while staying at eighth is at 28 percent, but the sole goal now is to beat the Raptors both times and worry about the rest later.
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