Heading into tonight's game against Cleveland, the Miami Heat have used the past two days of practice as a training camp.

Two days to work hard. Two days to get to know each other again. Two days to try and figure out how to turn around from a 5-18 start.

After Tuesday's 95-56 loss to Utah, the Heat had two "rugged" practices, as guard Kendall Gill put it. But, as Gill added, the Heat "needed it."

"We're losing games that we shouldn't be losing," said Gill. "To have a 5-18 record is a disgrace. We needed to get ourselves in shape and go over everything we needed to go over because we looked mixed up out there these last several games."

Gill wasn't the only one who said the Heat needed two days of tough practices. Coach Pat Riley, who Tuesday indicated the Heat had lost pride, was pleased with practice and the level of desire the team showed.

Riley said Thursday the players worked on executing offensively. He said the Utah loss, where the Heat shot a franchise-record low .277 from the field, was puzzling because "we actually executed pretty well to get shots, but they don't go in so we look pretty bad."

"That's not us the other night," Riley said. "As bad as we were, as bad as the score was, as bad as it looked, we're not that bad. We haven't had one of those all year long. We've had a lot of losses, and I don't believe in close and playing horseshoes and stuff like that, but that was as bad as it's been. I just hope we're going to bounce back. If practice is any indication than we should be better than we were the other night."

The Heat also used the past two days to try and get familiar with each other again. With the overhauled roster this season, players still are trying to find chemistry as a team.

Center Alonzo Mourning said the two of days of practice helped in that regard.

"We're just really getting to know each other," said Mourning, who talked about the additions this season of Rod Strickland, Chris Gatling, Jim Jackson and Mike James, among others. "I hate making excuses, but in order for a team to be productive, you have to grow together to some extent. It's kind of like a marriage. If you go into a marriage and you don't know the person you're getting married to and you start living with them, there's going to be some problems. We have to get comfortable with each other."

If the Heat do not get comfortable with each other soon, a divorce could be on the way. Riley said Thursday he is not opposed to entertaining a trade if the right deal can be worked out. Riley did not mention any teams he has spoken to or any players he has inquired about.

Before that happens, the Heat just hope to turn things around because, as Gill said, "losing can be contagious.

"You just can't think like a loser," Gill said. "If you keep losing these games -- and the way we've been losing them -- if you keep thinking that's going to happen, that's when you become a loser. I believe we're going to turn things around. It's not too late. We just can't give away games. We have to beat everybody that we're supposed to beat and win some tough games here and there."