Head Coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat gestures for a replay review in the first half at Madison Square Garden on December 21, 2025 in New York City. Evan Bernstein Getty Images
So much was going well for the Miami Heat during its 14-7 start to the season. But so much has gone wrong for the Heat over the last three weeks.
With only one win in its last eight games, the Heat is just one loss away from falling back to .500 for the season after standing seven games above the .500 mark earlier this month.
The latest setback for the Heat was a 132-125 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden to close its three-game trip at 1-2. While the Knicks have now won 11 of their last 13 games, the Heat has just one win over the past 20 days.
“There are going to be ups and downs throughout the season. It’s 82 games, no one’s always on a high,” Heat guard Davion Mitchell said, with the team back home to host the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday (7:30 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Sun and WPLG Local 10). “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.”
Through all the recent losses, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has noticed some encouraging trends that could eventually help end this rough patch.
But Spoelstra also knows more is needed to turn these losses into wins, as the Heat has struggled late in close games. Miami has posted a 1-4 record in clutch games (one that has a margin of five points or fewer inside the final five minutes of the fourth quarter) during this ugly eight-game stretch.
“I definitely see things,” Spoelstra said when asked if there have been some positives during this string of defeats. “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.”
Norman Powell #24 of the Miami Heat shoots over Josh Hart #3 and OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks in the second half at Madison Square Garden on December 21, 2025 in New York City. Evan Bernstein Getty Images
But to get there, the Heat needs to somehow get teams to miss more three-point shots.
Through the first 21 games during its strong 14-7 start to the season, opponents were shooting an NBA-low 32 percent from three-point range against the Heat.
During this 1-7 stretch, opponents are shooting an ultra-efficient 41.5 percent from three-point range against the Heat. Over the last two losses, the Boston Celtics (21 of 43 on threes) and Knicks (20 of 38) combined to shoot 41 of 81 (50.6 percent) from behind the arc against the Heat.
“It’s got to be more,” Spoelstra said of the Heat’s three-point defense following Sunday’s road loss to the Knicks. “It could be something different. Tonight, they hit shots while we were there. ... If they’re making them, what it requires is more. You don’t know what it requires until you get the stop, and we’re going to get there.”
On the other side of the court, the Heat is shooting just 33.8 percent on threes over the last eight games after shooting 38.2 percent from three-point range during its 14-7 start to the season.
The Heat has also gone from the league’s second-highest scoring team (123.6 points per game) and fastest-paced team (106.1 possessions per 48 minutes) through the end of November to the 21st-ranked scoring team (112.8 points per game) and 10th-fastest team (101.5 possessions per 48 minutes) in December.
“We got to extend the good things,” Heat guard Norman Powell said. “It’s not even translating or doing something different. 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, ten minutes into 24 minutes, into 36. We got to figure out how to continue to extend and keep the game working in our favor. I think that’s what coach means. He sees great things, but it only happens for a couple minutes throughout the course of games.
“We need to figure out how to extend those into longer stretches. And that’s when we can start, when we have the lead, we can continue to build the lead. Obviously teams are really good, and they’re going to go on their runs. But if we continue to work the game and find the shots and those moments, those swing moments, those skirmishes that [Spoelstra] likes to call, and we’re able to win those throughout the course of the games then we’ll be able to start winning these games.”
There have certainly been some positives for the Heat during this losing stretch. Second-year center Kel’el Ware continues to show off his intriguing offensive upside as a three-point shooting big man and 19-year-old rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis impressed in his first NBA start on Friday in Boston.
In addition, eventually getting starting guard Tyler Herro back from injury will help. Herro has missed six of the last seven games with what is being labeled by the Heat as a “right big toe contusion.”
But the bottom line is the Heat enters Monday in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, a spot that would send them to the NBA’s play-in tournament for the fourth straight season.
“We just got to put a full complete game together offensively and defensively,” Powell said. “It’s easier sitting here saying it, but we got to really start putting our imprint on winning.”