Heat’s winless start continues — Southeast Division roundup

The Miami Heat’s rough opening stretch continued with another narrow loss, while the Atlanta Hawks missed a chance to build early separation in a still-wide-open Southeast Division race.

Heat drop another close one, fall to 0-4

At home, the Miami Heat came up short again in a tight contest, losing 113-109 to the Dallas Mavericks. The defeat drops Miami to 0-4 and keeps them at the bottom of the Southeast Division standings. The close score underlines how competitive the game was, but the Heat are still searching for a way to close games out and finally get into the win column.

With Orlando (1-2) and Washington (2-2) idle, Miami’s slow start puts early pressure on the group, as the Heat risk losing contact in the division chase if the skid continues much longer.

Hawks lose in Houston, settle back at 2-2

On the road in Houston, the Atlanta Hawks fell 120-110 to the Rockets. The loss evens Atlanta’s record at 2-2. The Hawks miss an opportunity to edge ahead of the Washington Wizards, who also sit at 2-2, and to apply more pressure on the Charlotte Hornets, who currently lead the division at 3-1.

Charlotte (3-1) and the Orlando Magic (1-2) were not in action, but the early picture in the Southeast shows a tight pack behind the Hornets. How Atlanta responds, and whether Miami can rebound from its 0-4 start, will quickly shape the division hierarchy over the coming days.

League honors underline conference competition

Around the league, the NBA named Ty Jerome of the Memphis Grizzlies and Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers as Players of the Week for their respective conferences, according to Hoops Rumors. The honors don’t directly involve Southeast teams, but they’re a reminder of the level of competition both in the East and across the league as the season begins to take shape.