The Miami Heat’s season has taken a sharp downturn since trading Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors at the deadline. Miami has lost seven straight games and is just 4-14 in its last 18 contests.
Following a 125-91 blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach Erik Spoelstra addressed the team’s struggles. “We are desperate to our souls to collectively figure out how to win one game,” Spoelstra said, per Barry Jackson. “We are struggling to figure out how to win games.”
The Heat failed to contain Jaren Jackson Jr., who led Memphis with 31 points on 13-of-18 shooting. Desmond Bane contributed 22 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, while Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke provided key bench production.
Kel’el Ware was Miami’s top performer with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Bam Adebayo added 18 points. Kyle Anderson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. each finished with 13 points, but Tyler Herro struggled, managing just eight points on 3-of-12 shooting.
The Grizzlies built a 63-48 halftime lead behind Jackson’s 23 first-half points and continued their dominance after the break. Memphis shot 55% from the field in the fourth quarter, extending its lead and closing out the wire-to-wire victory.
The Heat remain ninth in the Eastern Conference at 29-38, clinging to their play-in position. With 15 games left in the regular season, Spoelstra and his squad are running out of time to turn things around.
