Miami Heat Look to Avoid Eighth Straight Loss Vs. Rival New York Knicks

Tony Mejia | Mar 16, 2025

Tyler Herro hasn't enjoyed many wins at Madison Square Garden in his career, but failing to get one on Monday will ensure Miami matches its longest losing streak since 2007-08. /

Less than an hour after Miami suffered its second-most lopsided defeat of the season in Memphis and its losing streak reached seven games, New York failed to complete a comeback and fell at Golden State 97-94, ending a two-game win streak.

The Knicks closed a five-game West Coast swing at 2-3, which is even more disappointing since they lost All-Star Jalen Brunson on the first game of the trip. The point guard sprained his ankle in overtime of a 113-109 loss and won’t be back in the mix until later this month or early April, which means his team is looking to tread water without him. 

The listless Heat will face a wounded animal at Madison Square Garden on Monday. Failing to meet the aggression that awaits will likely result in more embarrassment. 

New York has been the No. 3 seed in the East for the past few months, but its lead over the Bucks is down to just four games with 16 to go. They’ll meet in Milwaukee on March 28. Indiana is five back and lost the season series to the Knicks 2-1, so homecourt advantage in the first round is probably safe for Tom Thibodeau’s team. 

The Knicks will take the floor on Monday for only their second home game in an 11-game stretch dating back to last month’s final day. They haven’t won at MSG since Feb. 26 and won’t be back in action there until next Saturday night, heading back on the road to face San Antonio and Charlotte. Without Brunson at the helm, New York is looking to win games it will be favored in to keep from spiraling.

The Heat, 1-8 in March, have rolled off a cliff and are in full collapse. They’ll be looking to avoid an eighth consecutive loss that would match the team’s longest stretch of futility since suffering through a 15-67 run in ‘07-’08. To illustrate how long ago that was, Shaquille O’Neal was traded to Phoenix that season, Pat Riley completed his run as a head coach and Alonzo Mourning, Shawn Marion, Jason Williams and Ricky Davis all wore Miami jerseys.

With dubious history on the line, is there any team more fitting to be facing than the Knicks franchise Miami has been tied at the hip with for decades? The Heat have enjoyed fantastic wins and massive heartbreak at the Garden over the years, so they’ll take the floor as underdogs on St. Patrick’s Day, looking to change their luck.

Because they’re missing their leader and coming off a loss to cap a disappointing road trip, you can forget about the Knicks overlooking Miami. The teams just played a game the Heat dominated for the better part of three quarters before they’re nasty fumbling habit resurfaced. Miami lost 116-112 in overtime, squandering a 17-point first-half lead. 

New York has won eight of 10 in the series, but three of its victories came by two points, which doesn’t account for the March  2 matchup.

Spoelstra continues to cling to cliches and lit into his team for not competing to the standard of how the Heat expect to play in the 125-91 loss to the Warriors, so he’s probably excited to be facing a rival in a storied venue like the Mecca, where his team is 0-4 since last winning in ‘02. This will be Miami’s only visit to Manhattan this season, offering an opportunity to generate a memorable upset before returning to South Florida for a six-game homestand that opens a stretch where it will play nine of 11 games at Kaseya Center.

Despite their struggles, the Heat remain just three games back of Atlanta for the Southeast Division lead and 1.5 behind Orlando for a No. 8 seed that would keep them out of the 9-10 elimination game play-in. No. 10 Chicago is only one back. 

It’s get right or good night time. Grab a green beer, or given how Miami is playing, something stronger, and buckle in. With 15 regular-season contests remaining and a lost weekend in the rearview, the Knicks await to officially begin what’s looking like a bleak stretch run. The playoffs are a month away.

Tony Mejia is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at tnyce1414@gmail.com