The Miami Heat were defeated by the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, losing to the reigning champions 103-97.
However, just because they lost that game doesn’t mean the Heat aren’t a huge threat to other teams in the Eastern Conference, particularly when the regular season comes to a close.
On Thursday night, NBA analysts Zach Lowe and Brian Windhorst talked about the Heat and the ways they can cause damage in the postseason.
Calling them “a nightmare,” Lowe said that other teams fear the Heat, especially when the playoffs get started.
“Nobody wants to see these guys,” Lowe added.
"Nobody wants to see these guys … they're a nightmare." 😅 @zachlowe_nba on the Miami Heat in the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/7sNFTNXxvg
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 1, 2024
The Heat are currently the eighth team in the East with a 28-31 record.
But that doesn’t mean that other teams, even high-ranking ones, don’t fear Miami.
Take last season for example: the Heat barely made the playoffs and started the postseason as the eighth seed but they were able to overpower the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, before beating the New York Knicks, and Boston Celtics.
They went all the way to the NBA Finals even though most people counted them out at the conclusion of the regular season.
Can they do that again this year?
The Heat haven’t changed their roster that much and that’s part of the reason why they may be so dangerous.
They have had one of the most consistent and reliable rosters in the NBA for years now and this has led to a lot of success.
But like many other smart, experienced teams, the Heat know that the postseason is far more important than the regular season.
They want to do well now but they are more interested in thriving when the playoffs get started.
The Heat have shown that they should never be counted out and they really can be a major nightmare for other teams.
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