"However, in the 124-112 loss to the Thunder, it was the mentality, or lack thereof, that evidently drowned the Heat in a game where, according to Erik Spoelstra, they had the right level of physicality needed to play competitively and perhaps win. Miami's physicality wasn't enough, even though they led at the half, and that's where Spoelstra's latest public criticism of his team, from behind the microphone, focused after the 12-point loss and the Heat's third consecutive loss, going back to last week."
"While Miami had some good runs and stretches in Sunday's game, it wasn't enough, and Spoelstra made that clear afterward. "We just have to be overall tougher with everything. Not just physical toughness," Spoelstra said. "I felt like we brought physical toughness, but the mental toughness when the momentum starts to swing the other way. It doesn't have to be a 14-2 run. It can be half ... We didn't respond well, but we will get better at that.""
The Miami Heat lost 124-112 to the Oklahoma City Thunder after surrendering momentum despite leading at halftime. The team displayed sufficient physicality but lacked the mental toughness to respond when runs shifted the game. Coach Erik Spoelstra publicly criticized the Heat for failing to stay mentally engaged during key stretches and emphasized the need for overall toughness beyond physical play. The loss extended Miami's losing streak to three games and followed an unacceptable defeat to the Indiana Pacers. After a strong finish to December and a good start to January, the Heat sit 5-5 in January as they seek to correct focus issues.
Read at All U Can Heat
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]