At least the Miami Heat are back in postseason contention.
That is the attitude they are taking after their 13-game winning streak ended Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers. With just two games left before the NBA All-Star break, the Heat know they have something to play for the remainder of the year other than the draft lottery.
"That's the main focus," center Hassan Whiteside said. "I think that was the main thing. We just stacked games on top of each other, trying to get ourselves in a playoff position. That's what it really was."
A month ago, the Heat appeared in danger of missing the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. At 11-30, they had the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference before beginning the streak.
The stretch has provided hope for the second half of the year. The Heat are also expecting guard Dion Waiters to return after missing three games with a sprained ankle and guard Josh Richardson (ankle) could be back in the lineup soon.
"We were always thinking like that," guard Goran Dragic said. "Even when we had a losing record, we forget that most of those games were close. We just didn't know to close those games. Now, we know how to. We've got a lot of experience in those games. Now, the [injured] players are coming back."
For coach Erik Spoelstra, the recovery process began the moment after the Sixers loss. He was already looking toward Monday's game against the Orlando Magic at AmericanAirlines Arena. The hope is to begin another streak as they chase a postseason spot.
"It's never been about the streak," Spoelstra said. "It's not going to be about the streak now. We have an important game on Monday, a team that's right near us in the standings so we have to rest up and get back to our game. ... I know everybody is looking forward to getting back home and getting ready to win an important game."
