The Heat’s two-day break in the schedule couldn’t come at a more important time. The team is searching the dregs of its energy reserves as the regular season nears its final month.
With a record of 8-6 since the All-Star break, the Heat (35-13) is dragging itself through the second half of the season. Blowout losses on Sunday and Monday were highlighted by sloppy play (turnovers), a lack of energy (rebounding) and general exhaustion. After the loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday, you could hear the fatigue in the players’ voices and see it on the face of Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.
“Obviously, we’re in a rut right now mentally,” Chris Bosh said. “We just have to hang in there and figure something out. We have to be mentally tough and survive this.”
Bosh isn’t in a rut, exactly. It’s more like his game has fallen headfirst into a ditch. The Heat’s max-salary power forward had two rebounds and 14 points against the Pacers. Those numbers were merely the continuation of a trend.
–Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald
