Once again, the Heat are surging in the standings to start the calendar year, ascending to fourth in the Eastern Conference and just a game behind the third place Cleveland Cavaliers with a matchup looming. A 10-4 month (so far) has erased the uneven start of the season, that kept the team hovering around the .500 mark.
The last week of games for the Heat once again solidified the team’s “next man up” ethos, as they played a pair of shorthanded games on the road in Charlotte and Houston, beating the Hornets and controlling the Rockets until a late run by James Harden and Chris Paul put the game away.