After sitting among the league’s best teams for much of the first month of the season, the Miami HEAT’s defensive rating – points allowed on a per-possession basis – has sunk to 14th in ...

The Heat entered Thursday with the NBA’s top defensive rating (92 points allowed per 100 possessions) and has held opponents to a league-low in field goal percentage (39.2 percent) for the season.

Let’s examine the most vital differences in Miami’s defense since Nov. 10. Highsmith’s Helping Hands. Since that Denver loss, Haywood Highsmith has been a fixture in the Heat starting lineup ...

Miami Heat star Tyler Herro reacts during a game against the Charlotte Hornets. Their recent slippage notwithstanding, the Miami Heat continue to be one of the NBA ‘s best defensive clubs (truly).

But the Miami Heat defense has been bad this year. They are 24th in the NBA in points given up per possession — 104.1 per 100 trips down the court (via Hoopdata ). For comparison, last season they ...

The Heat’s starting five, which consisted of Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jovic, and Bam Adebayo, led the team with the most defensive activity.

The Miami Heat’s defense hasn’t been good enough lately, especially Friday against the Denver Nuggets, and that has resulted in a three-game losing skid.

The Miami Heat (25-25) were outscored 31-9 in the fourth quarter as they blew their lead against the Brooklyn Nets (18-34) 102-86. Here’s a look at four major takeaways from the matchup: 1.

Until then, maybe it will be a mystery as to whether Miami’s impressive perimeter defense has been a fluke or a legitimate force. Casey Fahrer is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He can be ...