"These," Erik Spoelstra said, "can be some season-changing moments."
No, the Miami Heat's forward-thinking coach was not talking about this current skid of five losses in his team's last seven games, but rather the four-game western swing that opens Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
At 9-7, and with its next three against the Blazers, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers, teams with a combined 37-15 record, the Heat faces the possibility of falling below .500 for the first time this season.
"Out there there's not going to be anybody else but ourselves," Spoelstra said, "and we're going to have lean on each other and trust each other, come together.
"It's a great challenge."
Having failed to take advantage of its home-based early-season schedule, with a 6-5 record at AmericanAirlines Arena after Sunday's 92-85 loss to the Boston Celtics, the Heat appears to welcome this impending test.
"We have a daunting task in front of us, and it'll give guys some time to really just focus in on the things we need to do," forward James Jones said. "If you can't get up for playing on this road trip, then you can't get up for playing at all."
The Heat has a history of reviving itself during its early-season western swing. Last year, after a 106-68 thrashing in Portland at the outset of a five-game trip, the Heat won three of the next four. In fact, the lone remaining loss on the trip was a disputed one-point decision against the Los Angeles Clippers that came when the referees acknowledged an inadvertent whistle in the closing seconds.
"I never mind going out west," guard Dwyane Wade said. "Of course it's tough on the schedule, but it's actually good for a team, because all you have is yourself, your 15 players, your six or seven coaches, and your training staff. You have to come together."
The challenge will be severe. The Heat not only was blown out in its last visit to Portland, but has lost four in a row to the Blazers. The Heat also has lost its last seven visits to Denver, the lone city where Wade has yet to record a victory since entering the league in 2003. And then there are the league-leading Lakers on the second night of a back-to-back set on Friday night.
"It's a tough trip. It's the NBA schedule. You can't cry about it," Wade said. "The only thing we've got to do is get our rest as much as we can."
Survival might be all the Heat needs. It not only has four days off after Sunday's close of the trip in Sacramento, but then plays six in a row at home before its Christmas Day road game against the New York Knicks.
"It's a good time for us to try to pull together," forward Quentin Richardson said.
Limited action
Despite starting all 11 of his previous appearances before missing four due to back spasms, Richardson was utilized for just 9:08 in Sunday's return, all in the first half. He missed his only two shots.
The Heat is now 2-3 in the five games Jones has started in place of Richardson.
"I felt good," said Richardson, who reported no lingering discomfort. "Coach Spo' is doing what he feels is best. I think J.J. has earned his minutes."
