"But you have to look at far more than that," rookie forward Michael Beasley said. "We've grown up. I don't think there's any doubt now we can play with any team out there."

When the Heat hit the road Jan. 6, it was a team still trying to piece itself together through the initial stages of a rebuilding job coming off last season's disastrous 15-67 finish.

Now, that same squad has progressed to become a legitimate playoff contender as the midway point of the season approaches. The Heat is only two games in the loss column out of fourth place in the standings as it prepares to open a key four-game stretch Wednesday against the defending champion Boston Celtics.

After that, Miami faces three straight Southeast Division opponents in Orlando, Atlanta and Washington. Positioning itself for homecourt advantage for the first round of the playoffs no longer seems an unrealistic goal for the Heat.

"You look at the standings and see that a lot of teams are right there with each other," guard Dwyane Wade said. "We're right there in the mix of everything. So we have an opportunity to go back home with a lot of tough games coming up and take care of business."

HEALING TIME

Heat players were given the day off Monday to recuperate from a grueling trip. Several players, including Wade (legs, elbow), Daequan Cook (knee), Udonis Haslem (back) and Shawn Marion (groin), played through nagging injuries for most or all of it.

But that was only one of the obstacles the Heat endured during a trip where adversity seemed to be waiting at every stop.

The team was stranded in Denver an extra day after a Jan. 7 loss to the Nuggets because of mechanical problems with the chartered plane. The next stop was Sacramento, where Wade took a nasty spill and banged his right elbow after a flagrant foul by Spencer Hawes during Miami's overtime victory.

The Heat then made it to Los Angeles but was unable to practice because an Israeli-Palestinian protest blocked streets near the UCLA campus and prevented the team bus from getting to a nearby gym.

A close-yet-encouraging loss to the Western Conference-leading Lakers was followed by wins at Minnesota and Milwaukee.

TRADE RUMORS, ETC.

But more drama arrived in Houston, where reports of potential trades involving Marion surfaced in addition to nasty accusations going public in Wade's divorce proceedings. Through it all, the Heat kept its focus on finishing the trip with momentum. It accomplished that with Sunday's 10-point victory at Oklahoma City.

"We had so much adversity," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "This team never ceases to surprise with its resiliency and toughness, whatever it may be."

Along the way, Marion found his way in the offense and finish with three consecutive double-doubles before he sat out Sunday. There also was the development of the Heat's bench, with Cook, Quinn, Beasley, Diawara and Magloire stretching the rotation to 10 deep. Now, the mission is to keep building amid a tough home stand.

"We've come a long way, man," Marion said, with the Heat set to resume practice Tuesday. "It just shows. Everybody has a role, and everybody brings something different to the table. That's how you form a team. And we all understand that now."

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