Let's just say it. The Heat doesn't seem to care right now.
Not even on the first night Greg Oden has played in a regular-season game in four years could the Heat muster the energy or interest to make it respectable. The Heat's 114-97 loss to the Wizards marked the first time the Heat has lost three-straight game in two years. That those three losses came against teams all with losing records tells you everything you need to know about where the Heat is at this point in what is, obviously, the most pointless of regular seasons.
Oh, but there's more proof. So much more...
The Wizards led by 34 points ... IN THE FIRST HALF.
The Wizards had 16 fast-break points ... IN THE FIRST QUARTER.
This after the Nets outscored the Heat 17-2 in second-chance points.
And after the Knicks, you know, won a game.
I wrote in my game story that it felt like the Joel Anthony Memorial Protest Game, but that might be giving too much credit to Anthony. Like LeBron James said after the game, it appears the Heat just isn't mentally engaged in the season anymore.
“It's not physical," James said. "It’s more mental than anything. Whether it’s mental fatigue, or lack of, not confidence, but lack of focus and it’s all trickling down to our play on the floor.
“We’ve got to figure this out, obviously. It’s a good test for us. We love adversity more than anything, and we’re definitely at that point. And my damn voice is gone and I got to try to find it, too.”
Dwyane Wade had eight points, going 4 of 11 from the field and afterwards tweeted that he needed to play better.
"There's nothing else we can do," Wade said. "We don't like to lose but like I said, you've got to catch it before it gets too bad, because it can. You can turn around and be in a seven-game losing streak.
"It's because you're out there, you're pressing too much, stressing too much on every play. You've just got to try to understand, get back and watch the film, learn what you did wrong from the game and try to correct it, correct your wrongs, come into the next one and try to put it behind you."
Of course, Wade doesn't need to study game film for very long to figure out what's wrong with the team.
"They had 43 points in the first quarter," Wade said. "That's remarkable."
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