In late March, the Heat were teetering.
First, they lost a dispiriting game against a Sixers team resting Joel Embiid and James Harden. Miami followed that up with a double-digit loss to a Warriors team missing Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green—which included a sideline blowup between Jimmy Butler and Erik Spoelstra. Then came a blown 17-point fourth-quarter lead to the Knicks. And, finally, a blowout loss at the hands of the Nets. By the end of the four-game slide, the Heat had slipped to 47–28, their grip on the No. 1 seed in the East loosening with each loss.