On Monday, the New York Knicks rallied on the backs of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns to beat the Miami Heat, 116-95. Since trading Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors, the Heat have collapsed, falling all the way to the tenth seed in the Eastern Conference.
It looks like Miami is destined for an early exit in the Play-In Tournament, and the Heat might have to spend their offseason taking a long look at their roster and how it's construed.
For legendary head coach Erik Spoelstra, he is working through a trend he has never seen before.
"Spo," as he is known in NBA circles, took over as the coach of the Heat in 2008 after being given control by legendary NBA coach Pat Riley. He rose to the occasion and has led Miami to two Finals wins, six Finals appearances, and has mostly managed some of the biggest personalities in NBA history.
Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and other legends all claim he is one of the best coaches they have ever played for, and his inclusion on the league's all-time coaching list to celebrate the 75th anniversary is a testament to his sustained success.
Having coached 1,344 games heading into Monday's contest, he was behind only Pat Riley and Red Auerbach for the most games coached without ever suffering an eight-game losing streak. All things must come to an end, it would seem, as the Knicks handed him his eighth straight loss for the first time in his career.
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If the trend continues, this season will be just the fourth time the Heat have missed the playoffs with Spoelstra leading the charge.
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This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 12:40 PM.