NEW YORK – When it comes to slumps, skids and defeats in droves, it’s as if the logic for the losses is without limitation.

Sometimes it’s death by 3-pointers. Sometimes it’s an opposing hot hand. Sometimes one bad stretch doing the damage.

Sunday night, in falling for the seventh time in eight games with a 132-125 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, it was all of the above.

For extended stretches, the Knicks could not miss from beyond the arc, closing 20 of 38

For an entire night, Jalen Brunson set the tone, the Knicks guard closing with 47 points.

And for the second consecutive game a rough patch at the close of the third quarter proved too much to overcome, just as it did in Friday night’s loss to the Boston Celtics.

So back to Kaseya Center for one more game before Christmas with a 15-14 record, only Tuesday night’s game against the Toronto Raptors before a two-way holiday break that feels like a lump of coal at the moment.

While the Heat got 28 points and 20 rebounds from Kel’el Ware, who shot 5 of 7 on 3-pointers, as well as 22 points from Norman Powell and 23 from Jaime Jaquez Jr., there wasn’t enough in support.

In addition to Brunson’s 47, the Knicks also got 24 points from Mikal Bridges.

Five degrees of Heat from Sunday night’s game:

— Game flow: The Heat led 37-30 after the first period, with the Knicks coming back to take a 66-62 lead into halftime.

The Knicks pushed their lead to nine in the third, the Heat climbed back within one, before New York moved to a 105-99 edge going into the fourth.

As was the case with Friday night’s loss in Boston, a rough patch to end the third led to ongoing issues in the fourth, with New York with 9:50 to play taking its first double-digit lead of the night, at 111-100.

But a Ware 3-pointer and a pair of Jaquez free throws got the Heat within 120-118 with 3:12 to play.

The rally then stalled, with a Bridges 3-pointer making it 125-118 with 2:15 to play, later drawing a three-shot foul on Powell with 1:34 to play that also was ruled a flagrant foul, effectively ending it.

— The big thing: Even with the Knicks opening with a smaller lineup, with Josh Hart opening at power forward and Mitchell Robinson playing off the bench, Spoelstra stayed big, with Ware again starting.

That paid early dividends, with Ware with 10 points in his opening stint, including a 2 of 2 start on 3-pointers a game after shooting 6 of 7 on 3-pointers in Boston.

Ware’s start was part of the Heat’s 6 of 8 start on 3-pointers.

Ware was up to 14 points and nine rebounds by halftime.

It was easier for Spoelstra to stay big with Tyler Herro again out with his toe contusion.

— Powell comes around: A game after closing 1 of 11 on 3-pointers in Friday night’s loss in Boston, Powell this time came around with his 3-point stroke, up to 22 points through three quarters.

Powell extended his streak of games scoring in double figures to 27 in a row, dating to last season with the Clippers. His career-best such streak is 35.

— Brunson burner: Brunson was up to 39 points through three periods.

That already had him tied with teammate Karl-Anthony Towns for the second most against the Heat this season.

The most against the Heat this season entering the night had been 42 by Zach LaVine in the Sacramento Kings’ Dec. 6 victory at Kaseya Center.

Brunson previously scored 37 against the Heat on Oct. 26 in a Knicks loss in Miami, in his only previous appearance against the Heat this season.

— The 3 D: It’s not as if the Heat’s 3-point defense has been off this season, it just has felt that way these last two games.

On Friday night in Boston, it was the Celtics pulling away by converting 10 of 15 3-pointers in that decisive four quarter.

This time, it was the Knicks standing 15 of 25 from beyond the arc midway through the third quarter.

Part of it still is Ware often playing dropped defense. Much of it is just opponents making shots.

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