The Miami Heat’s struggles continue to mount. They endured their fourth consecutive blowout defeat and eighth straight loss overall after falling to the New York Knicks (43-24) on Monday night.The Heat have hit a historic low, sitting 10 games below .500 for the first time since 2017. Their eight-game losing streak is the longest of the Erik Spoelstra era (since 2008), and they’ve failed to reach 100 points in three straight games, a drought they haven’t experienced since 2018.
Aside from Duncan Robinson, the Heat were ice-cold from deep, sinking just one of their 14 three-point attempts. Robinson and Tyler Herro each posted 20 points, but the rest of the lineup struggled to contribute. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Haywood Highsmith combined for just eight points while shooting 31 percent, and Bam Adebayo managed 12 points on as many shots.
Robinson put up 22 points for the Heat, who suffered yet another collapse, marking the 18th time this season they’ve blown a double-digit lead.
Miami has struggled to hold onto leads against nearly every opponent but has made a habit of it against the Knicks this season, surrendering advantages of at least 13 points in all three losses.
The New York Knicks overpowering Erik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat
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Knicks stars Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns poured in a combined 51 points while shooting an impressive 64.5 percent from the field. The team was lethal from beyond the arc, hitting 47.1 percent of their threes, with Bridges, Towns, and Landry Shamet each sinking three.
Hart recorded 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists, matching Hall of Famer Walt Frazier’s mark of eight triple-doubles from the 1968-69 season. His 14 triple-doubles with the Knicks now place him fourth in franchise history.
With the victory, the Knicks moved to 43-24, solidifying their hold on third place in the Eastern Conference behind Cleveland and Boston, both of whom have already secured playoff spots. Meanwhile, the Heat dropped to 29-39, fighting to stay ahead of Chicago for one of the final two play-in spots.
The Knicks held a six-point lead midway through the third quarter when play was halted for over 10 minutes after comedian Tracy Morgan appeared to vomit near his courtside seat. Following the delay, the Knicks dominated, outscoring the Heat 24-6 to take an 88-64 lead into the fourth quarter.
New York understandably appeared sluggish at the start after wrapping up a five-game West Coast swing late Saturday night. However, Towns, Bridges, and Hart provided the necessary spark to lift a team missing injured All-Star Jalen Brunson.
Erik Spoelstra and the Heat kick off a five-game homestand Wednesday against Detroit, with Jimmy Butler’s highly anticipated return to Miami set for March 25. Meanwhile, the Knicks head to San Antonio for their next matchup. Butler’s resurgence with the Golden State Warriors has only added to Heat fans’ frustration while energizing rival fanbases.
