"The Heat's long road through February and March began on Wednesday night.

Over the next two months, the Heat plays on the road 18 times compared to 11 home games, and eight of the team's next 10 games are away from AmericanAirlines Arena. To prepare for the difficult test, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra used Wednesday's shootaround to run a full-scale practice.

"We want to get off to a good start and really set the tone defensively," Spoelstra said. "You have to take advantage of every single opportunity during this compressed season.""