After losing ten games in a row, Miami has rattled off five consecutive wins as the end of the regular season inches closer.

The 2024-25 NBA season has been an interesting one for the Miami Heat. With Jimmy Butler III rediscovering his joy for basketball as a member of the Golden State Warriors over the last couple of months, things weren’t as sunny in South Beach in the aftermath of the massive deal struck back in February.

In the first ten games following the trade that also brought Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson and Davion Mitchell to Miami, the Heat were 4-6, losing five of the first six contests before winning three of the next four. But that was just the calm before the real storm hit.

From March 5-21, Miami lost ten games in a row, the worst losing streak of Erik Spoelstra’s 17-year coaching career. The Heat struggled mightily to score in the second half over this stretch, blowing multiple double-digit leads in the final two quarters of play. Over those ten games, they ranked last in second-half scoring (47.2 points), plus-minus (-10.5) and rebounding (17.0), were 27th in field goal percentage (43.0), and 28th in three-point percentage (32.5). The advanced metrics weren’t great, either, as they were last in offensive rating (104.8), 19th in defensive rating (115.9), and 29th in net rating (-11.1).

Now that the harshest of weather seems to have passed, there is a bright side starting to emerge from all the chaos. Spoelstra and his staff have made some adjustments, and their trio of Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins and Tyler Herro are leading the turnaround on the court. The result has been a season-high five-game win streak for the Heat, including a dominant 112-86 victory against Butler III and the Warriors last Tuesday in Jimmy’s first game back in Miami.

They have retaken the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference thanks to the improved play recently. Only 2.5 games separate them from the Atlanta Hawks in seventh, and they’re just 1.5 games behind the Orlando Magic for eighth. Miami’s offense has really picked up down the stretch, posting the fourth-best rating (123.5) in the last five games, but the defense has been even better. Their defensive rating of 101.7 ranks second over the same period.

Wiggins, who has missed two of the Heat’s previous five outings, has come on strong for his new club as the regular season winds down. In his last three games, he’s averaging 22.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks in almost 32 minutes a night, including a season-best 42 points in a win over Charlotte. He is shooting 53.1% from the field and 55.6% from three (on 6.0 attempts per game).

Herro has taken his game to new heights this season, putting up career highs in points (23.7), field goal percentage (46.9%), assists (5.6), double-doubles (9) and games played (72 of 75). He’s been locked in during Miami’s win streak, posting 28.4 points, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals with shooting splits of 62.2% FG/50.0% 3PT/96.2% FT in almost 36 minutes per game. His plus-17.0 plus-minus rating ranks third in the NBA across the last five outings.

Miami will get a chance to prove themselves against the No.2-seeded Boston Celtics on the road on Wednesday night (7:30 ET, NBA League Pass). The Heat have made positive strides in the last couple weeks, showing their mental fortitude after such a dire stretch of March, but Boston represents a tough challenge that they have yet to conquer this year (0-3 on the season). A win against their potential first round opponent in the playoffs could be a huge boost of confidence that propels them at the perfect time.