Davion Mitchell spoke with Heat RoundTable to elaborate on the team's much-needed time away from games and what needs to be done better to snap their current four-game losing streak.
The Miami Heat have been away from game action for nearly a week after being eliminated from the NBA Cup due to losing Tuesday night's matchup against the Orlando Magic, with a final score of 117-108. They started the game on a hot note and led by as many as 16 points in the first quarter, but then Desmond Bane responded with a 37-point performance, including six three-pointers made.
Heat starting point guard Davion Mitchell previously mentioned that there was a sense of panic within the team last season, when opponents would make comebacks, and alluded to a similar feeling against the Magic:
"Obviously, we should have put our foot on their neck during the game, but the game is about runs," he told Heat RoundTable. "It was the beginning of the game and we knew they were going to go on their run. We just had to sustain them and try to keep pushing. Obviously, we didn't make a lot of the shots that we usually make. I think we missed 11 open shots. Granted, that's not the reason why we lost. We should have been better defensively, especially me. I feel like I was just a step slow in that game. When we don't make shots, defensively, we still have to be sharper."
One of the big factors in the Heat's four-game losing streak has been the dip in three-point shooting, recording below 30 percent in three of those games. Regardless, Mitchell likes the shots the Heat are generating and needs to keep taking them.
"We're not going to keep missing, we work too hard," he added. "Don't think about it, just keep shooting. Just keep having confidence in ourselves."
It's also worth noting that because of the Heat's fast-paced offense, this current time has given them a great chance to regroup. The fifth-year guard mentioned that with all the travel and the number of games played, it's been "taxing" on the team physically.
"Obviously, it's the NBA, we know what our schedule is," the former lottery pick said. "We know that our body is going to be tired. It's good to have this mini rest, regroup, practice, and be with one another, build that chemistry while we're not playing games."
There's been no sense of panic within the Heat, and they certainly aren't paying attention to false narratives from online. The focus has been getting better and looking forward to snapping this four-game losing streak.
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