It’s officially official. Regardless of the Heat’s record-setting victory Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Miami Heat finish the 2024-25 season as the No. 10 seed and will face the Chicago Bulls in next Wednesday’s play-in.
Miami, who lost 119-111 against Chicago on Wednesday, is 0-3 against its East foe this season. After Friday’s 49-point shellacking, Heat guard Tyler Herro spoke about trying to overcome Chicago in hopes of keeping their season alive.
“We’re 0-3 against them in the season. It’s going to be obviously a big challenge, going on the road and winning two games,” he said. “But nothing we haven’t done before. We’re ready for the challenge.”
The Heat clinched their third-straight play-in appearance eight days ago. In both years, they split their play-in contests after finishing the regular season as the No. 7 and 8 seed, respectively. Miami put together a historically great postseason run in 2022-23, making the NBA Finals as the No. 8 seed, but was bounced in five games to the eventual-champion Boston Celtics last year without Jimmy Butler.
They were marginally worse on the road than they were at home this season. In 40 road contests, Miami finished 17-23 with a minus-0.9 NET Rating; at home, with still one game left, it’s 19-20 with a plus-1.4 NET.
Without any home games sandwiched in between, the Heat won consecutive road games just twice this season. They downed the Warriors, Jazz and Trail Blazers on the road from Jan. 7-11 and then beat the 76ers, Wizards and Celtics amid their season-long six-game win streak from March 29-April 2.
The Bulls have been one of the East’s hottest teams over the last month. Since the start of March, they are 14-7 with the NBA’s 12th-best NET (3.7); Miami is right behind them in NET (3.2) over that span.
If the Heat can replicate anything close to what they did Friday, they will obviously be in good shape. What are your expectations with four days until the play-in? Let us know in the comments!
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If Heat get that #8 seed they have to go all the way to ecf. Or it will be a real disappointment, well for me hehe, if they win this play-in but eventually gets bounced in the first rd and waste that pick. So I’m good losing to the Bulls. Just not a blowout.
This is when I am supposed to act optimistic. The best I can muster up is let the chips fall wherever they may. I will be rooting hard but my logical side sees the benefit of the pick. It is a funny dilemma for a fan. I bet if we win in Chicago it will become even more of a difficult choice. Let’s take that one step at a time….
I know what you mean. If you look at my reply to SunMan, you will see I feel the same. I always want the best for this team, and I think what is really best for this team, for the future, is to get those 2 picks.