ASK IRA: Do Heat have only themselves to blame for having to count on others?
Have bad regular-season losses caught up to to the Miami Heat in the NBA playoff race?
Q: Ira, shame on us for being in this position. Do you think this will be a lesson that every game matters, especially those bad losses. A team that went to the NBA Finals should not be someone else’s (female dog) on the last day of the season. – Franklin.
A: Look, an 82-game season is a grind, so you can’t expect playoff-level intensity throughout the season. But there are some nights that leave you shaking your head, and those are the nights that have created this moment for the Heat. The bad losses that come to mind are the night the Heat lost at home to a Grizzlies roster that started the likes of Jacob Gilyard, David Roddy, John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr.; the March 10 home loss to the Wizards, when they allowed Kyle Kuzma beat them while playing as Washington’s starting center; and the Jan. 19 home loss to the Hawks, when they allowed Dejounte Murray to launch the buzzer-beating 3-pointer. And that’s not even getting to all the no-show games, particularly at home. Now, thay have reaped when they have sown.
Q: The Bucks don’t want Erik Spoelstra and the Heat two years in a row. – Paul.
A: And I can understand such an external thought process, that the Bucks have a greater chance to avoid the Heat or 76ers if they willingly slip out of No. 2. And with a lesser challenge, it would allow Giannis Antetokounmpo additional time to heal. I get all of that. But it would seem that the reason for such a dramatic coaching change was to compete for a championship and settle for nothing less. So it seems counterintuitive to take a lower seed and wind up a road team in every round after the first. The Bucks seem to be playing with careful-what-you-wish-for fire.
Q: How does the NBA allow the NHL to dictate its playoff schedule? – Andy.
A: While many teams that share the same building also share common ownership, as is the case in New York, Washington and Toronto, that is not the case in Philadelphia. The Flyers and 76ers have separate ownership, and the Flyers weren’t budging from their season finale being Tuesday. So that is why a Nos. 7-8 game in Philadelphia would have to be Wednesday, with all other Nos. 7-8 options going as scheduled on Tuesday night.