Heat back in the race?
It's funny how much of a difference one victory makes for the Miami Heat's mental health.
In snapping a 15-game losing streak on Saturday, the Heat shed the "heaviness" that coach Pat Riley said had accompanied the skid.
Now Riley and the players look back and note the team was at least competitive against the better opponents during the losing streak, and are looking ahead to something better even while carrying the burden of the Eastern Conference's worst record.
Yes, they went so far as to acknowledge thinking, just a little bit, about the Heat's playoff chances.
At 9-33, Miami stands just 8 1/2 games back of Indiana, which it beat to end the losing streak, for the final playoff spot in the lackluster East.
"We are definitely happy to break the streak," said forward Udonis Haslem. "But it doesn't stop here."
"You always keep it in the back of your minds," Riley said of a playoffs berth.
"When you have had the kind of season we have had, it's amazing that you can even be that close."
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