The Miami Heat needed to win this gut-check game
After dropping three straight games, with their latest coming at the hands of one of the worst teams in the league (Minnesota Timberwolves), the team’s best player, Jimmy Butler, called out the team and flat-out said that the Heat had been playing “soft” as of late.
This was a moment that could end up being pivotal for the team. No matter who the opponent was, after the leader of the team calls the team “soft,” you can’t come out and lose. Against the Nets, the Heat had to come away with a victor – even after it was announced that Jimmy Butler would miss the game due to a bum ankle.
In a sense, this was a gut-check game for the Heat. After losing to arguably the worst team in basketball, Miami had to have this one. They had to begin to right the ship and turn the tide heading into the last few weeks of the regular season.
In a game that the Heat had to have, they got it.