No Miami Heat fan who paid attention this season thought this team could compete for a title. But fresh off signing Kevin Love and Cody Zeller, an optimistic Heat fan could’ve thought Miami would make a push and grab the fifth seed. The Heat could’ve then defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
It was always going to be a regression after last season’s 53-win, No. 1 seed finish and trip to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. But a second-round exit is at least respectable.
We’ve now seen two embarrassing losses post-All-Star break — Friday to a Milwaukee Bucks team that saw Giannis Antetokounmpo leave in the first quarter and last night to the Charlotte Hornets, a team that had just 18 wins coming into the night.