The Miami Heat, fielding their 20th starting lineup of the season, with Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. in for Davion Mitchell and Kel’el Ware, lost to the Boston Celtics at home 103-91.
The Heat, now on a six-game losing streak, move to a 29-37 record for the season, still the ninth seed in the East. They are just one game ahead of the streaking Chicago Bulls, who have won four straight.
With the Heat having lost 13 of 17 games, here are some takeaways from last night’s game:
The Clock Struck Fourth Quarter Again
Advertisement
After a mostly competitive contest, the fourth quarter decided the game for the Heat. They scored just 14 points, converting on five of their 20 looks in the fourth quarter. They finished the quarter with a 67 offensive rating to the Celtics’ 125. The Heat were also out-rebounded by seven in the quarter.
Andrew Wiggins converted on just two of his eight shots in the quarter, Tyler Herro made one of three and Jaime Jaquez Jr. hit one of four. Bam Adebayo missed his only shot in the final quarter of the game.
The Heat’s offensive struggles have been well-documented. We know that isn’t their bread-and-butter. The problem is, their defense was supposed to be much better. All 20 of the Heat’s shots in the fourth quarter were in the halfcourt. The Celtics sport the third best offensive rating in the league, so not a great night for the Heat to be relegated to the half-court for so much of the game while also turning the ball over.
Bam, Oh Bam
It seemed like Adebayo had recently found a balance between his scoring, defending and facilitating. Adebayo averaged 23 points (shooting 55 percent on16 field goal attempts per game), 10 rebounds and four assists in the 17 games between Feb. 1 and March 11. Adebayo also averaged about five free throw attempts in this span.
Advertisement
In the last two games, he took just seven field goal attempts, hitting two against the Clippers and three against the Celtics while taking two and three free throws. The Heat mostly went away from running the cross screens to get Adebayo his mid-post touches, where he typically finds ways to create a mid-range jumper, attack the basket or make the necessary pass.
When the Heat stick to just using Adebayo as a screen-and-roller or handoff hub, his scoring game pays the price. Their offense is not one that is good enough to bypass getting him into his spots every now and then.
Giving The Ball Away/Possession Battle
The Heat finished with 18 turnovers. The league-worst Utah Jazz average 17.5 turnovers. Despite the Celtics remaining one of the best defensive teams in the league, (sixth in adjusted defensive rating), they don’t do it by turning teams over. The Celtics force the 6th lowest turnover percentage and the 4th fewest steals per game in the league.
The Celtics took eight more shots than the Heat, (one more in the half-court, two more in fastbreak situations, five more on second-chance attempts). The Heat also missed seven free throws.
Advertisement
Giving the Celtics more possessions to work with, when the Heat already have to play mistake-free basketball just to keep up with good teams, is (and was) a recipe for eventual disaster.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Lionel Messi scored twice in a four-goal second half, defender Telasco Segovia added a goal and two assists and defending champion Inter Miami CF rallied to beat Orlando City SC 4-2 on Sunday night, winning for the first time at Inter&Co Stadium.
Messi took a pass from Segovia and scored in the 57th minute to tie it 2-2, and Segovia scored unassisted in the 85th for the lead. Messi put the finishing touch on the victory when he scored off a free kick in the 90th.
“The victory belongs exclusively to the players,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the game. “In the second half, they were a championship team. There were no tactics, nothing like that. There was heart, courage, possession, resilience, commitment. I think the team came out because they were champions last year.
“In the end, the players showed it. This victory is theirs.”
Advertisement
Messi’s first two goals of the season give him 52 in his first 55 regular-season MLS matches — 51 of them in his past 49 appearances. It also brought the reigning MLS MVP to 898 career goals scored, including 672 for Barcelona and 115 for Argentina.
“He’s the best player to ever play this sport. He’s a leader, and as a leader, he inspires others, but he also often needs to be inspired himself,” Mascherano said of Messi. “When he was driving forward, he had more attacking options, and with so many opportunities, he clearly has the ability to create chances like no one else, and that’s what allowed us to turn the game around.”
Marco Pašalić took a pass from Iván Angulo and scored in the 18th minute to give Orlando City a 1-0 lead. Pašalić has scored in four straight matches against Inter Miami.
Inter Miami players celebrate after scoring a goal against Orlando City in MLS.
Defender Griffin Dorsey set up Martín Ojeda for a goal six minutes later for a 2-0 advantage that stood through halftime.
Inter Miami cut it to 2-1 four minutes into the second half on Mateo Silvetti’s first career goal. Defenders Segovia and Facundo Mura had assists as the 20-year-old forward found the net in his fifth career appearance.
Advertisement
Segovia had eight goals and six assists as a rookie last season, while Mura collected his first assist in his first season.
Dayne St. Clair, the reigning goalkeeper of the year, turned away three shots — all in the second half of his second start with Inter Miami, but let in a soft goal for Orlando’s first.
Maxime Crépeau had four saves in his second start for Orlando City.
Teenager Colin Guske, 19, will miss Orlando City’s next match after the rookie picked up two yellow cards in his first start — the second one led to his exit in the 88th minute.
Inter Miami, which had never won in its previous nine trips to Orlando, was coming off a 3-0 road loss to LAFC.
Advertisement
Orlando City swept Inter Miami during the regular season last year and leads the all-time series 8-7-4.
Inter Miami plays D.C. United on Saturday at Audi Field. Orlando City is also on the road with a match against New York City FC.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this recap.
Rain floods Miami Beach streets, cut short Miami Heat Family Festival
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Much-needed rain fell across South Florida on Sunday, but the downpour quickly led to flooding and traffic headaches.
“The drainage systems aren’t the best but in ten minutes it will be gone,” one person said.
The rain lasted longer than 10 minutes, flooding several spots along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach.
Advertisement
In one neighborhood, at least a foot of water blocked the entrance. Drivers who attempted to pass through sent waves crashing onto nearby sidewalks.
The heavy rain also snarled traffic on parts of Interstate 95 and on the bridges to and from Miami Beach, slowing drivers trying to get around the area.
“It’s Miami for you. What do they call it, a sun shower?” one driver said.
The weather disrupted Sunday plans for many. The 26th annual Miami Heat Family Festival was cut short after strong winds swept through Dan Paul Plaza, knocking over several tents.
There is no word yet on how or when the Miami Heat plan to make up the family festival.
Advertisement
🏠 News From Your Neighborhood
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
Brett Knese
Brett Knese joined the Local 10 News team as a general assignment reporter in March 2025.
Jack and Jill of America’s Miami chapter closed out Black History Month with an inaugural “Roots Across Waters” trip to Nassau, where families explored ancestral sites, honored the Bahamian labor that helped build early Miami, and donated Afro‑Caribbean children’s books to local students.
