Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacted to the Miami Dolphins’ season coming to an end after the team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend.
Erik Spoelstra, on his empathy for Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins' loss, "They're building something. And you feel something really good is happening."
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) January 14, 2024
The Dolphins lost to the Chiefs on the road by 19 points.
Wide receiver Rashee Rice starred for the opposition, as he ended up with 130 receiving yards on eight receptions to go along with one receiving touchdown. Rice outplayed Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who finished with just 62 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown on five receptions.
Before losing to the Chiefs, the Dolphins finished the 2023 regular season with a solid 11-6 record, which was tied with the Buffalo Bills for the best record in the AFC East division.
But the Dolphins didn’t play their best football at the end of the regular season. The team lost its final two regular-season games, with those losses coming against the Baltimore Ravens on New Year’s Eve and Bills on Jan. 7. The loss to Buffalo was costly, as it allowed the Bills to clinch the AFC East.
As for the Heat, they have a lot of regular-season basketball to play before the playoffs. Miami still has 44 games remaining on its regular-season schedule and currently holds the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference at 22-16.
The Heat earned a three-point home win in their most recent game against the Orlando Magic on Jan. 12. Duncan Robinson finished with a team-high 23 points for the Heat while shooting 9-of-19 from the field and 4-of-10 from behind the 3-point line. He also contributed four rebounds, three assists and one steal in 41 minutes of playing time.
Paolo Banchero — who is averaging 22.9 points per game so far in his second season in the NBA — led the Magic in scoring with 25 points on 26 shots from the field.
Miami has a great chance to earn its second win in a row on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets. At 8-28, the Hornets are currently on a four-game losing streak and have picked up just one win over their last 10 games.
