Riding the wave of two back-to-back wins over the Charlotte Hornets and Golden State Warriors, the Miami Heat secured a 122-112 win over the Atlanta Hawks Thursday evening inside Kaseya Center.
The Heat’s three-game win streak is the team’s first since Jan. 7-11, when they bested Golden State, Utah and Portland.
Miami was led by one of Tyler Herro’s most efficient performances of the season, scoring 36 points on 13-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range. However, the Heat had six other double figurer scorers, led by Andrew Wiggins’ 16 points on 15 shots.
Bam Adebayo had a 12-10-4-3 steal double-double despite shooting just nine shots while Davion Mitchell completely flipped the game on its head when he was in the game, scoring 16 points on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range.
At this point, it’s a no-brainer decision for the Heat to re-sign the soon-to-be restricted free agent. Whether it was his timely shotmaking or diving on the floor for loose balls, tonight proved to be another reason why.
After missing seven of its first eight 3-point attempts, the Heat drained 17 of their final 25 long-range attempts. One game removed from going 17-of-25 from deep, it is in the midst of one of its best 3-point shooting stretches in franchise history.
Both Atlanta and Miami sunk 18 3-pointers and made over half of their shot attempts, but the different was the Heat got to the free throw line nine more times with two fewer turnovers. Trae Young was spectacular (29 points, 12 assists), but it wasn’t enough to propel the Hawks to their 9th victory in 12 games Thursday.
By virtue of their win, the Heat are now tied with the Portland Trail Blazers at 32-41 for the 9th-best lottery odds. According to Tankathon, they would have a 16.9 percent chance at a top-4 pick with a 3.7 percent chance in the #CaptureTheFlagg™ sweepstakes.
***
This is a developing news story. Click here for more details!
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter/X here!
To check out our other content, click here.
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram here!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel here!
Wiggins out for tomorrow’s game. Duncan still out, Jovic still out. I guess Jaquez will get some playtime tomorrow.
with duncan in partying comes to an end.biggest reason for 3 game surge no unc d.flat out fact
For those of you who questioned my suggestion that the Heat try to sign Josh Giddey in the offseason, what do you think now? Dude is 6’8″ and is tearing it up!!! 14.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 7,0 apg, 38.4 3pt%. He hit a half court shot to beat the Lakers last night and had a triple double 25/14/11. He’s just heating up. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer.
I didn’t think we might get him, and after last night, he is a new hero and legend in Chicago. Up and coming star.
Yup. They gonna pay him to stay. I think he has found a new home just like Davion has…hopefully.
To be honest he wasn’t so good before. His 3 point shooting wasn’t nearly as good as this season. I would even say he was a bad 3 point shooter. And he is not athletic, although he is tall. I am not sure whether I posted about Giddey, but I remember my opinion was that Heat should not pursue him. But I have to admit you were right. He has improved his shooting and he has been posting impressive stats lately 👍
I wrote that before Mitchell started blossoming. I still think Davion will be a great back-up, unless he can take his scoring and assists to another level.
I always liked him. But he was a liability last years PO in OKC especially because of bad 3p shooting, so he gets traded. Chicago got rid of Lavine and Derozan, which will sink Sacramento too, but their core is now very promising.
Giddey, White and Buzelis are good together. Ball will be a free agent but his stats have not been good. Kind of a mini-Simmons.
Next two games are against the tanking 76ers and Wizards, so we should make it 5 wins in a row. After that we go to Boston.
Hopefully in full stride. However, Celtics are 9-1 in last 10. Should be a big challenge.
I kept saying, be patient. It took longer than I’d have liked for this team to gel, but 42 of our points and 86 of our minutes last night came from people who weren’t on the team two months ago. Of course that kind of integration isn’t going to be immediate. I’m not saying we’re just going to roll like this through the rest of the season, but I think we’re a lot better than our record right now.
I agree! If we had this team from the beginning of the season, we would possibly be a 4-5 seed, maybe even 3.
If Ware had been integrated into the line-up before 2 months ago definitely. Very happy we got Mitchell in the whole quitter removal process. This summer it will be interesting to see who will stay and who will go. It’s pretty clear who is expendable and who isn’t. Rookie contracts are valuable because they give coaching staff time to develop and evaluate them, while the salary savings from their cheap contracts can be used for other veteran players.
It’s nice to have a team where everyone works hard and you don’t have ‘look at me’ distractions like Mickey Mouse or emo hair. And I doubt anyone now is flying solo or lodging away from teammates.
That’s why I don’t agree with giving the super stars extra perks. Their perks are their enormous salaries, fame, glory and life styles. To me, it is disrespectful for a max player to expect to be treated better than everyone else on the team. Riley/Spo were wrong accommodating Butler’s every whim. They created a monster. Finally, when they said NO, Butler had a shit-fit and quit on the team like a spoiled brat.
If your kid is a spoiled brat, it’s 100% on you. If your star player is a spoiled brat, it’s also 100% on you. Riley should have traded him when he made the decision not to pay him. He didn’t and the team suffered for it.
In fairness, Butler’s history on other teams says that any time someone failed to accommodate his whim, at any time at all, he went postal. By the time he got here, Riley and Spo may not have had any other option than to accommodate, because he was already a monster.
So, in other words, they knew he was a snake when they picked him up. It was just a matter of when (and where) he would bite them. That’s why Riley should have traded him last summer when his value was higher, (right after he insulted him publicly and said he wasn’t going to consider a max extension until next offseason). Riley has no one to blame but himself.
he was ok in phily they chose tobias over him.minn believe he had a beef with kat.in chi town he wasnt a ss kind of a rugged defesnive player so he wasnt a diva yet.the best players to get are disgruntled ss(kd)their value is not as high to their team.jimmy was one of the top 5 transactions the heat have ever made. dwade bron bosh zo maybe timmy id only put ahead of the quitter.just as much pats fault as the quitter.didnt handle it correctly.but based on davion wigg slo mo play think we are just as good .cant wait to play bost just hope wiggy is healthy and dunc isnt.sorry rc fora guy to be hurt but it really helps us
hard to control spoiled brats theyve been entitled for a while.sort of like a hot chic u want to keep them around u takem out to the best rests u got a duncan looking chic u can go to mcdonalds and theyd be ok with that if lebron wantshis cookies im baking them myself gift wrapping them and handing it to him asking what else can i do 4u.king.its all about the w s.with my philosophy sun i do anything to retain lebron anything.with quitter not quite as much but still go overboard to keep the pos happy.to keep dunc around i do nothing.its all relative to abilities.ask the great jimmy johnson how he treated his ss.
lakers gave up 9 pts in last 12 secs
And 44 in the quarter, with Giddey beating them on that crazy half court shot.
luka or dunc take u pick dpoy
Tough one. Hmm?
least dpoy has to be unc.ive seen fat luka play ok d with his big ass body.but he just doesnt try hes just wearing himself out with his great offensive skills.for me hes the best offensive player in the nba.and jokic is the best player in nba.power to the ics.hopefully our ic will improve and rep the ics well
This game was strange. The first half was seems a bit lazy.
So we have a 8 man long rotation, which seems to be successful. Rosier, JJJ and Love are out, rightfully so.
Pelle could get some minutes as a stopper in the place of HH. One of Dunc and Burks will start, the other will serve as a replacement for the first one.
The only question is, if Jovic will be incorporated into the mix. At his best, he can be very useful. But its probably too late to get him to that level till play in games. He would need 10-15 games for that.
I think there’s some overlap between Jovic and Anderson
similar type players anderson much smarter player.rather have in over shnoz.just by a nose though
Anderson is paid twice as much and Jovic has a higher ceiling. Remember, he’s only 21. Some players are slower in developing than others. Jovic won’t hit his full stride for another year or two. He still can improve his physical size, weight and strength and mature more. If he were traded, Miami would regret it, unless he was part of a package for a ss.
Once again, I must agree. The expectation that players like Jovic, Pelle, or even Jaquez should walk through the door and have an immediate impact can be unrealistic. As you point out, it takes more time for some players than others. By the time a player peaks around 26-27 years old, you pretty much know what you have. It is why I think we know what Highsmith is and any improvement may be marginal at this stage.
Look around the league. There are several players who didn’t bloom right away (e.g., Dyson Daniels, Harden, Brunson, Dejounte Murray, Siakam, VanVleet, etc.).
best example kawhi and also quitter add ty to the list..but 9times out of 10 the real good ones good from day 1.sometimes u wait for improvement and it never happens.take for example duncs d.if the dunker had just average d hed be a nice player.every player has inate god given ability and they usually stay around that level..there are of course outliers but usually what u show early is who u r
One of Dunc and Burks will start, the other will serve as a replacement for the first one.Does defense matter 2u bugi man?
bugi vugi man.
Dunc is a good defensive player.
Okay, now I have to figure out if you’re just joking. Duncan has an interesting skill set. Defense is not one of them.
yes hes an above avg shooter.very good passer.100% effort all the time.good at commercials.unplayble due to his d
HFL was a bit quiet lately.
So I just want to pick a topic to gets him going.
Here is another one.
Jovic out was a reason for 10 games losing streak.
You are really going straight to the heart, I see.
I m targeting brains.
I agree. If he had been playing, no way the losing streak goes past 9.
jovic not a diff maker.slo mo right now better more experienced solid smarter nba player.skill wise jovic has more tools.slo mo the better player right now.
sort of but not to the extent of dunc.shnozy not part of the great 8.in serbia or one on those countires hed be first team all star.in nba hes a jag
I believe US won the last gold medal on big tournaments in Paris in this decade at least. Get used to watch Serbia or some other European country as gold medalist and Jovic as a starting small forward there.
Jovic is an NBA level player whose stats have improved each season and are likely to continue since he’s only 21, and as long as he stays healthy.
your not serious r u
Ok, I am saying pump the brakes a little on contending. We are still in the mediocre range. And we don’t have to tank to lose our share of games. It will happen, as the cool kids say, organically.
Having said that, we have a favorable schedule over our last nine and could finish around 39-43. We are probably slightly better than an average team at this stage. It is possible that we may even get out of the play-in. To me, it seems inconceivable that we will go any further than a first round exit.
I don’t think it’s worth it. I am one who would rather miss the playoffs and get the pick now. OTOH, I am feeling much more optimistic about our near term future, we could be quite competitive by next year and definitely by the following one. The franchise is resurrecting.
Excellent win last night. Go Heat!
boo 30 with our improved d the skys the limit.
But you specifically stated (below) that you (also) doubt they could beat Boston or Cleveland and maybe win a game or 2. So, your best case scenario is they barely make the playoffs. Since they can only be either the 7th or 8th seed, they would play one of those 2 teams and lose 4-1 or 4-2 and be out in the first round?? You would find that a satisfying end to the season? You may not care about getting one of the highest picks in years, but the team should. The only way it makes any sense is if you think they can upset BOTH of them (since they likely would have to beat one first round, then beat the other in the ecf). I wish I could look up your comments after we got spanked in the first round last season. I’m sure they weren’t “atta boy team, nice try, at least you beat Boston once” type of comments.
I’ll root for them every game, but I would find that to be another disastrous end to the season.
the way the great eight are playing they have a chance to beat bost or cleve not okc.jimmy beat em with a lesser team.tatum has tendency to jack lots 3s and he can be cold at times.davion is like a small younger jrue wiggy and jaylen 2 similar type players when wiggy played at gsw he was always third option now he can take more shots therefore score more for us .plus our two twin towers y the f not .the great eight can give bost a great (8) series.when u have 4 plus defenders on the ct with hootie u have a shot.a fresh ty is impossible to guard.when thompson twins locked him down he was little tyred.when he has pep in his step nobody can guard him.daniels is a great defender ty ate him up last night
I admire your enthusiasm and would rather you were right on this. I just don’t see it. I still think we are closer, but not quite there yet.
we will find out soon if wiggins doesnt play doesnt count .i need me just the great 8 no imposters(pelle jjj dunc terry love)
Hard to envision what you see happening in the first round.
when u blow out teams u r good .keep the blowing going
My heart is with you, it’s just my head isn’t.
we shall see 30 my eyes like what i c
That is realistic.
im not good with contracts so duncs contract expires this year?he becomes a fa? is he free to sign with any team that would want his services.
He has a player option for 20 mil $ for the 25/26 season
Of that amount, $10 million is guaranteed, so if he was waived, the team would save half the salary.
i waved with both hands.ill pay the difference mickey
I think it’s likely he will still be on the team next season. He is not a bad player. Just not 20 million good. But I don’t think it’s worth waiving him at a cost of 10 million.
do u watch the other teams shot selections get much better looks with him on the ct.hes lost out there .free lances to much..one on one d either fouls or they score on him.sorry if i was coach i wouldnt play his sorry ars.id take jjj and swedish sensation before unc
The guy is a nice guy, did a really good job on commercials. He also could help a lot of teams. He is upper tier behind the arc, not a one trick pony either, excellent passing and vision, can handle the ball a bit, surprisingly good finisher, and, when no other defensive liabilities in, he holds up reasonably well. He is a valuable asset, maybe a bit overpaid. You want to talk overpaid, there is a scary player sitting on the bench..
when no other def liaiblities in thats the problem.defense wins jewelry id like to meet u and rc one day bisc blvd in july .and sun in sd to.
Riley needs to have a trade lined up if he signs him @ $19,888,000. Otherwise, pay him the $9,888,000 and let him walk. Use the $10M savings to pay Mitchell.
player option means he says i want my 20 were fkd or we cut him and lose 10?
Actually, it’s not a player option. It’s something called an ETO – early termination option. Here’s how this weird clause works:
Here’s a more detailed look:
$9.888 million guaranteed, could become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived by July 8, 2025.
I didn’t know that. Thought he had a player option. If he is waived, the guaranteed part still does count against the cap, right?
Great question. I imagine it would for that one season. But it still drops your cap hit the other $10 million.
Fun fact: his contract becomes fully guaranteed if the Heat win NBA championship. Not like it is something we need to worry about at the moment 🙂
If we win the championship this year, hfl will write the check.
with my salary aint happening.if we won it all id send dunc a book how to guard in the nba for beginners
Under terms of the five-year, $90 million contract Robinson signed in the 2021 offseason,
he has the right to opt out of his contract (and $19.888 million salary) by June 29 and enter free agency.
the Heat can waive Robinson by July 8 and only owe him $9.888 million of next season’s $19,888,000 salary, a cap savings of $10 million that could create greater payroll flexibility.
Miami can opt in and agree to pay him his full annual salary and later
keep him or
trade him.
this nba salary stuff suks,nfl has it right.if a player no good cut him eat the $$ but get his rozier ass out of town.and bring a better player in.why is terry still on the team bs
Since I recently posted draft profiles of a couple of players in the upcoming draft, I felt for fun I would post Mitchell’s profile when he was coming out of Baylor.
Davion Mitchell is a tough, hard-nosed point guard who impacts both ends of the floor. He’s one of the leaders of a loaded Baylor team and is the engine that drives the high scoring offense. He’s also an elite defender, probably the best on ball defender in the draft.
Davion has a lightening quick first step and good blow-by ability. He can dance with the ball and when he decides to go his first step is devastating. He takes it strong to the hoop and can finish over length and absorb contact on the way to the rim.
His driving ability opens up his outside game and he’s becoming a knockdown 3pt shooter, after struggling from deep earlier in his career.
He’s a good decision maker with the ball, doing a good job of orchestrating the offense, setting up teammates for open shots and knowing when to look for his own shot. It helps playing with a great backcourt mate in Jared Butler and other talented players but his passing and play-making really stands out.
His FT shooting is below par and really needs to improve for him to be a trusted ball handler in the clutch.
As mentioned, he’s a great defender who really gets after the ball. He has true lock-down ability and brings a ton of value on the defensive end of the court.
The kind of competitor you want to have on your team.
why didnt he at least stick in toronto.quickley is mediocre
he found a home here maybe the baker mayfield of the nba
I hope so, because I really enjoy watching him play.
Definitely better than PJ Tucker haha
Lol, true, and 13 years younger!
tor tanking
Excellent effort against an improving Atlanta team. For the first time in a long time, I see the guys playing as a team and having fun, rather than looking stressed out and unsure of themselves (especially in crunch time). They have learned what it is like to lose as a team. Now they are learning what it is like to win as a team. I noticed they haven’t been having turd or 4th quarter collapses lately.
I think the “Ghost of Butler Past” has finally left the building. It left when the Heat exorcised their demons in the blowout win over Butler & Golden State. The players realize that neither the cavalry nor Butler is going to come and save them. They must save themselves. It feels like the team is going through a transformation process lately similar to what the Warriors experienced after Butler’s arrival in San Francisco. They’ve begun to believe in themselves. They’ve begun to believe they can win. Tightening the rotation and clearly defining players’ roles has helped a lot.
The ones who were in the rotation previously such as Rozier and Jaquez can’t complain that Spo didn’t give them enough games to prove themselves. Unfortunately, neither played up to expectations or their previous levels. Larsson is still getting a few minutes. I wish Spo would do the same with Johnson. I know there are only a few games left, but I was hoping he would get a shot at competing for a spot in the rotation. It looks like that isn’t in the cards this season.
Mitchell had 16 points tonight on only 12 shots. He was 4-5 from 3 point range. His 3 point shooting is up to 48.4%. He adds so much to both the offensive and defensive ends when he is on the floor. He has quickly become a fan favorite because of his hustle and aggressive style. When Mitchell was drafted #9 by Sacramento in 2021, his pre-draft profile read: “Davion Mitchell is a high-character, hard-nosed point guard with a strong defensive foundation and developing offensive skills, making him a valuable asset for any NBA team.” I really hope Riley doesn’t insult him with a lowball offer this summer. That would be the last straw for Riley.
Onward and upward. The Heat will be in Philly on Saturday, in Washington on Tuesday and in Boston on Thursday. That should be a good test of the team’s new and improved rotation.
I know I have mentioned several times lately that I would like to see the Heat get a lottery pick this year. However, that was when they looked as though they had completely lost their “Mojo” and would be limping into the play-in round, lose and go home. I was hoping it would be more of a mercy killing than an intentional tank job. I was concerned that the players would be unable to represent themselves, the team or the city, considering the dysfunctional state the team was in during the 10 game losing streak.
Now that the guys have found their “Mojo” and started to gel, I think it is very important for them to continue growing and improving as a team. That is much more preferable than seeing them stagger off into the summer with their heads hanging down and their tails between their legs. They are warriors and are eager to do battle. They deserve an opportunity to give it their all and hold their heads high, regardless of the outcome.
The last 9 games should be very interesting! I’m looking forward to them.
GO HEAT!!!
Good observation. But I’d still give it a few games. The remaining games actually to say somehow these new look Heat is finally turning a new leaf so to say and gotten over the bad taste of coffee served in Jimmy’s final days and the succeeding losses.
the ghost of 55 jjj terry k love past.no weak ass players or defenders on ct except for one of the best offensive players in nba.spo cant go back to unc.its slo mo hh burks bench play which has turned this around as much as anything sun.keep it the same 8 men maybe a little pelle.ill say it til the day i heat die dunc is poison for this team
Keep Burks to fill Robinson’s role at a fraction of the cost.
Money well spent, money well saved.
Well said. My buddy hfl suggested I might be in favor of tanking. I have never, will never, be in favor of tanking deliberately. Would I like to see them get a top 8 or 9 pick? You betcha! But if they make a run here, go for it. We still have the Warriors pick this season and will retain our 2026 pick if our 2025 lottery protected pick goes to Oklahoma. In fact, as it turns out, we got a #1, #9, #30, plus what should be approximately a #22 pick for quitter. Not a bad haul at the 11th hour. I still don’t think they can beat Boston or Cleveland in a 7 game series, but they are playing better now, imo, than at any time this season. Let the chips fall where they may.
i think wiggy is better than any 8 pick and davion better than any 22 pick.and slo mo better than any second rounder.pat hit a hr for the quitter.i doubt they could beat bost cleve but i think they could get a game or two.i see us behind knicks also on same level as milw ind orlando,this is a new and improved team mainly thanks to players 678 and waremby jr davion wiggy bam and ty wow everybodys playing fn good no stiffs from the top 8 .next year to put us with the big boys need a all star type pg maybe like a kyrie ja type pg..
Some recent 8-10 picks. Edey, Dyson Daniels, Franz Wagner, Mitchell, Haliburton. It is still a crapshoot, but you have a better chance of finding an impactful player there.
guarantee more busts than booms.if we get a player at 8 with wiggys ability id be happy.hawks been drafting high for a while now dont have sht to show for.orlando to they aint sht yet.when u have a chance for finals matchup with okc go for it.with the aprons okc will be great for a few years then be broken up.
When you likely have no chance of getting to the finals, then getting that pick, as SunMan points out, makes your team better. I don’t agree that there are a lot of busts in that range. You may not get a superstar, but at the least, you’re likely to get someone who really helps your team.
I wouldn’t call Dyson, Jalen Johnson, Okongwu, Risacher, shit. All good to very good players and their average age is 22. That’s how OKC, Houston, Cleveland got started.
Wiggy PLUS #8 pick pick works for me.
Me too!
Lol capture the Flagg. In a perfect world (at least for us Heat fans)…
Ware, Bam, Herro, Wiggins, Flagg! Wow!
I would like that!
Another nice win. The rotation seems set for the first time this season. Ware, Bam, Wiggins, Herro, Burks, Mitchell, solid first 6. Slo-Mo contributing. Something most of us wanted from the beginning of the season – Bam at pf has been great.
Congratulations to every one, from Tyler Herro to Larsson.
I tip my hats off for coach Spo as he continues to give playing time to the younger players.
spos best use of personnel last 3 games salute to him.keep the same personnel do not dare change anything.i would like to see keshod get some pelle minutos if any tinkering.
Now you’ve jinxed it and Spo is going to start Rozier and Jaquez the next game! 🙂