NBA Power Rankings week 14: OKC Thunder among the ‘road warriors’

Miami Heat:

Offense: (111.4) 8th
Defense: (108.3)14th
Net: (plus +3.2) 11th

Results Week 14: (2-1):  Won vs. Kings: 118-113 (OT), Wizards: 134-129 (OT), Lost vs. Clippers: 99-113
Games Week 15: (3 games) Mon vs. Magic | Tues vs. Celtics | Sat at Magic
 

Jimmy Butler returned to the Heat lineup after sitting out the Pistons match and was rewarded with 18 free throws. The “Bucket” man continues to be a force in his leadership role in Miami instilling confidence in his youth brigade while working with Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo to keep the team rolling.

There is a slight concern because the first two matches of the week required overtime to decide which might speak to the Heat youngsters backing off the defensive attention the club was displaying early. In the match versus the Wizards, the Heat coughed up a 19 point lead. Seemingly, Miami likes being pushed to the brink where they excel. Case in point, they’ve played eight overtime games this season and won them all.

Friday brought about their second home loss as once again the Heat held a lead but coughed it to the Clippers but the defeat wasn’t the worst part as Butler got hurt twice and the second sent him to the lockers after a pretty brutal ankle sprain on a play to defend Kawhi Leonard at the rim.

Now things get interesting as the Heat will face an improving Magic squad (who’ve already beat them) a Celtics crew who already beat Miami once and are invested in moving ahead of them in the standings.

Following these two home games, things get dicey, especially if Butler is out for any length of time because they’ll play six of eight on the road where they are 11-12.

Although the Heat sits ahead of the Celtics their struggles to win in week 14 without the same hardships of injury finds them falling behind the teams who had unbeaten weeks and Boston who won missing key contributors this week in TI’s rankings.