The Miami Heat took Monday's loss to the Chicago Bulls harder than most, with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra explaining that several players were reduced to tears following the team's performance.
In losing 87-86, it marked the Heat's third close loss to Chicago this season, topping off a frustrating week that started last Monday (AEST) with the squad's tough defeat at the hands of the New York Knicks.
The Heat now have lost four in a row.
After Dwyane Wade's last-second desperation jumper rimmed out, a catatonic Heat team sulked to the locker room. The Heat's season-long clutch struggles were made even more obvious by Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau who said after the game that Chicago has "guys who can close".
What's more important is this astonishing lack of clutch play from Miami's troika of LeBron James, Wade and Chris Bosh. All three had exemplary clutch statistics in the seasons leading up to 2010-11, but in shots taken with less than 10 seconds to go in the fourth quarter or overtime, with Miami trailing by three or fewer points, the Heat have gone 1 for 18 this season.
A falloff like that is remarkable and just about unprecedented in recent NBA history.
With the win, the Bulls have moved percentage points ahead of Miami in the Eastern Conference standings while sweeping the teams' season series three to nil.
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