The Miami Heat were good, just not good enough to keep their season alive.
In what was a sloppy, chaotic start that turned into perhaps one of the best play-in games we’ll ever see, the Heat came up a hair shy in overtime to the Charlotte Hornets inside Spectrum Center, 127-126.
LaMelo Ball gave the Hornets a five-point lead with 26 seconds before a improbable fadeaway corner 3-pointer from Tyler Herro kept it a one-possession game.
Just wait, there’s more!
Pelle Larsson stole a LaMelo Ball pass (intended for Miles Bridges) with 13 seconds left, evidently leading to an inexplicable 3-point attempt from Herro from the opposite corner mere seconds later … only to be fouled by Ball on the triple try. Herro buried all three of his free throws, giving the Heat a 126-125 lead with 8.7 seconds remaining.
Ball, who finished with a game-high 30 points, made amends, however. The former No. 3 overall pick took Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. to the cup, canning the game-winning layup with 4.3 seconds left. Davion Mitchell raced down the court for a potential response, but was met with multiple Hornets defenders.
The Heat had multiple chances to slam the door shut, leading by six (111-105) with 1:18 left and by four (112-108) with 19 seconds left in regulation. Though they left the door slightly open, and Charlotte ultimately broke through.
Most of Miami’s effort came without Bam Adebayo, who suffered a back injury after six minutes in the first half after LaMelo Ball tripped him. He scored six points and three rebounds on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting.
As a result, the Heat’s defense took a precipitous dip, even though they showed very promising glimpses toward the end of regulation in zone. Davion Mitchell tallied a team-high 28 points on 12-of-24 shooting and 4-of-9 from 3-point range, though he missed his final four 3-point attempts. Herro had 23 points; Kel’el Ware stepped up in lieu of Adebayo’s injury, tallying 12 points and a game-high 19 rebounds while swatting five shots.
Collectively, the Heat shot 47.6 percent from the floor and 39.0 percent from distance. Charlotte shot 44.2 percent and 32.1 percent from beyond the arc.
This is the first season in franchise history where they did not make the playoffs in seasons they finish over .500. Tuesday’s loss won’t count against their win-loss total, but the sarrowing defeat does leave a bitter taste in the mouth.
***
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Every year, Riley chooses to go whale hunting to avoid having to rebuild the team. Every year he fails and the Heat winds up a mediocre team. He’s stuck in the spin cycle and refuses to accept reality. Time has passed Riley by and Arison refuses to admit it.
It’s time for Arison to sell the team (at a very handsome profit) and for the new owner(s) to bring in a front office with a leader who has the proven ability to rebuild a team in the current era (2020’s).
Until changes are made at the top, expect to see continued mediocrity (a borderline lottery caliber #9-#12 team) in Miami. If fans choose to continue to accept that, they deserve what they get.
I refuse to spend any more of my hard earned money to pay for NBA League Pass or any other ppv subscription for this crap…much less pay to watch a game in person when the Heat makes its west coast trips.
There’s no time like the present for Miami to evolve into a better organization and build a better team.
There’s a few patsinites (a Pat Riley fanatic, who wants this team to be in the playoffs, don’t want to trade bam no matter what, still believe in herro no matter what, blame losing on injuries, believing the next ss is going to walk into kaseya and save the heat. Etc etc
Clowns that think they know what’s best for the team because they spew bs up and down this board. Statboy being the main conspirator. All those stats lead to the team being mediocre hunting for a whale with no backup plan circa 2020
2015heat
Hfl
Vagibu
Manila
All fit some of those Pat minions I call them.
Wait on Giannis don’t get him make a small Norman Powell type move and run it back again watch
Really. Whats wrong with you?
Its only a game. Chill a bit.
Its irrelevant to Pat Riley, what you, me and other on this forum things about Heat.
Nobody here knows what is the best for a team, but all (and thats what we all have in common, if nothing else) wish the best for a team.
Remember this, when you are writing the answers, even if you dont like what is written there.
Its only a game. Chill a bit.
Its irrelevant to Pat Riley, what you, me and other on this forum things about Heat.
Nobody here knows what is the best for a team, but all (and thats what we all have in common, if nothing else) wish the best for a team.
The new excuse. Team needs to rebuild and stop running it back, stop whale hunting because they aren’t coming
No wade no ss coming here point blank.
Should’ve tanked last year and this year and be better positioned for the future.
But Heat Culture and zombie follower fans allowed them to be mediocre
Hi guys. It’s me, Kevin. I used to write for Hot Hot Hoops, for like a very long time a long time ago. I’ve started a YouTube page, and this is the video I’d like to direct you to (as Heat fans). It’s a 10-minute postmortem for the 2025-26 Miami Heat. https://www.youtube.com/live/KXCZacT5GeM?si=c2LkPdXSCZy2RZfq
This will be a crucial off season. In the NBA, if you’re not improving, you’re falling behind. There are a lot of things that need to be sorted out. Mostly, we are a team full of good players, but no great players. And that’s why we continue to be mediocre. And the difficulty in going from mediocre to competitive is very real and may not be fixable by just drafting solid mid round picks. Then, there is the impending loss of two of our most skilled players, and possibly a third, as very good (but not great) players, will demand and can get higher salaries from somewhere else. But, paying those higher salaries limits other options without incurring apron penalties. Then, there is our competitive window itself and how our three best players, Bam, Andrew, and Norm, fit into that timeframe.
I am of the opinion, and maybe some don’t agree, that the idea of letting the younger players take over has some limitations also as most of those younger guys don’t have high enough ceilings, and the one player who does, Ware, may never reach his potential. I admit to some uncertainty as to our next step. Assuming we are going to lose Norm and Andrew, and perhaps Tyler, and we also have Rozier’s money, the free agency market is our most likely direction towards replacing the talent going out. And, let’s hit on these draft picks also, but a twelfth or thirteenth pick and particularly one in the low forties, may not yield enough to move the needle as much as we want.
Having looked at those possible easier pathways where we avoid the pain of becoming the Jazz for a few years, it becomes more and more apparent that probably the highest percentage move, the pathway that will most likely lead us back to relevance, is tear down and rebuild, painful as that is. And, if we do it, I would like to go that route with a younger, more creative thinking GM, and I don’t think Spo is that guy either. We need someone from outside the organization to lead us.
If we don’t accept reality, it will inevitably come and force our hand anyway. We may have had a better record, may have even improved a little as a team, but we lost ground last year. The lottery likely is our next destination if we continue with the never tank mantra. We might as well embrace the change.
This needed to happen and I’m not mad at anyone not even mad at ball why because this needed to happen and tbh it was good it was the hornets. A team with a brighter future than Mia as it currently stands (I’m not talking about past success nor franchise success miss me with those excuses). Need okc to do what all the other recent nba champs have done and lose in the 2nd round so maybe they will be willing to trade Jalen Williams for bam. (Gives Mia a legit young up and coming star).
Take the hit and get what you can for herro expiring, vet, 2nd rounders whatever you can get……maybe Pat can see himself in one of pelle kas jjj in order for him to sever the ties he has with Herro. Same thing for Powell, expiring, veteran and or 2nd round pick
Build this team around Williams kas pelle jjj and ware and hopefully a top 4 pick
And before statboy comes saying anything that is more realistic than Giannis Luka antman insert ss whale pipe dream whatever you want to call it they not coming here
Your plan to fix the Heat makes no sense for OKC. Why would they get older and more expensive trading JDub ($47m avg salary) for Bam (52m), when they are about to face salary issues this offseason. You think they will take on 5m extra per year at a position they already have covered with Chet?
There’s actually a chance of a Giannis trade to Miami. There’s zero chance of a Jalen Williams for Bam trade
Giannis not coming either stat boy. Just like making the playin 4 years straight they will miss out on a ss the same amount of times if not more. Yall want this team to do the same thing over and over it’s pathetic atp. How many times are yall gonna do the dog and pony show? Atleast im giving alternatives rather then them doing the same shit they’ve been doing statboy. All your stats where’d it lead the team to statboy? No real thought or opinion besides status quo whatever Pat says is golden and whatever the teams media group says it’s golden in your eyes.
(The bucks came close to accepting mias offer for Giannis)
Totally distracting yall from the fact the team was gonna be the 10th seed in the east for the 2nd time in a row and you idiots fell for it
I’m also embarrassed for you lol you thought Mia was gonna get him during trade deadline (nope) thought because 4th in this and 10th in that they were gonna beat so and so or do so and so. They were a 10th seed stat boy.
Giannis not coming and if they don’t get him can you stop being a fan please that’s the bet loser can’t post here anymore
You’re giving imaginary alternatives if you think an OKC round 2 loss to Houston or the Lakers will lead them to trade Jalen Williams for Bam. OKC is 50% to win the title and will be a heavy favorite vs either of those teams. And that trade makes no sense for them financially or on the court, which is why it has zero chance of happening.
Again no Giannis don’t post on here again statboy.
Neither team calls or picks up the phone on your trade idea, that’s just a fact. At least try to argue your side/defend it, but you don’t even do that.
And players and agents use Mia as bait for other teams got mountains of evidence of them failing to get a whale dumb statboy. The evidence is where is your whale on this team statboy how you know they wouldn’t pick up the phone you fake ass statboy analytic robot.
Question OKC is facing is how can they keep 3 max players under this new restrictive CBA.
If you look at their salaries next year, they are 28m over the second apron and 49m over the luxury tax line. https://www.spotrac.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/overview/_/year/2026
They can get under the 2nd apron by declining the team options on IHart and Dort or trading them. They also have to find the money to extend Cason Wallace.
So cutting salary is a big issue for them, and you are proposing a trade where they add salary. They also don’t get better, since Chet and Bam play the same position and have overlapping skill sets.
FeedbackFeedback Start Over
This Trade is Successful!
Start OverAdjust TradeSave Trade
Miami Heat
Over Tax Line
-$893,727
Cap Room
-$31,800,145
PlayerSalary PER
A. Wiggins$10,102,802 11.8
4 Years
J. Williams$6,580,997 19.1
1 Year
Acquiring 2 Players
$16,683,799
Miami Heat Roster
Bam Adebayo$37,096,620 18.7
4 Years
Tyler Herro$31,000,000 17.2
2 Years
A. Wiggins$28,223,214 15.2
2 Years
N. Powell$20,482,758 17.6
1 Year
D. Mitchell$11,600,000 12.1
2 Years
S. Fontecchio$8,307,692 13.8
1 Year
Nikola Jovic$4,445,417 9.5
5 Years
Kel’el Ware$4,443,360 20.1
3 Years
J. Jaquez Jr.$3,861,600 15.8
2 Years
K. Jakucionis$3,658,800 11.9
3658800 Years
Dru Smith$2,378,870 14.6
3 Years
P. Larsson$1,955,377 13.1
2 Years
K. Johnson$1,955,377 15.2
1 Year
M. Gardner$395,029 15.2
3 Years
Jahmir Young N/A
1 Year
Trevor Keels N/A
1 Year
V. Goldin N/A
1 Year
Analysis:
You have not affected the winning percentage of this team.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Over Tax Line
-$1,170,685
Cap Room
-$32,077,315
PlayerSalary PER
Bam Adebayo$37,096,620 18.7
4 Years
Acquiring 1 Player
$37,096,620
Oklahoma City Thunder Roster
S. Gilgeous-Alexander$38,333,050 30.9
2 Years
I. Hartenstein$28,500,000 19.8
2 Years
L. Dort$18,222,222 8.3
2 Years
Alex Caruso$18,102,000 12.8
4 Years
C. Holmgren$13,731,368 21.6
1 Year
Isaiah Joe$12,362,338 15.5
2 Years
A. Wiggins$10,102,802 11.8
4 Years
J. Williams$8,450,794 13.9
3 Years
K. Williams$7,163,000 14.2
2 Years
J. Williams$6,580,997 19.1
1 Year
C. Wallace$5,820,240 12.2
2 Years
Nikola Topic$5,182,920 8.2
3 Years
T. Sorber$4,655,040 N/A
4 Years
Jared McCain$4,221,360 11.6
3 Years
A. Mitchell$3,000,000 16.8
3 Years
P. Sandfort 13.2
2 Years
B. Carlson 17.7
1 Year
B. Barnhizer 7.9
You need to switch years on the trade machine. JDub starting rookie extension next year making 41, Bam 49.5
u should change your name to salary cap boy
As long as you change yours to delusional fanboy
I’m fine with the Heat losing, but not if it comes at the expense of injuring our players. It would be better if the Hornets won while Adebayo was playing, so there would be no excuses and its a much better wake up call for the Heat organization..
Cause being in the playin 4 years straight isn’t the wake up call? Swinging and missing on whales like statboy and others think they can get isn’t a wake up call? Getting blown out historically last year wasn’t a wake up call? 10th seed last two seasons isn’t a wake up call?
What a game. Diabate’s 6 OREBs in the second half really hurt, and was because Bam played 0 min. Would have won otherwise.
Focus now shifts to #13 and #41, those are good picks
That was by far the best Heat game this year. Playing like that for longer period of time would bring 5-6 seed or more.
It wasn’t fun season, it wont be fun offseason either. Another whale chasing, I suppose.
Welcome home. Where have you been?
Vacations mostly, 10 days in Toscana and Umbria. After that a lot of work to be done. I m ready to watch games now, but there is nothing to watch.
Terrible timing.
was thinking of doing the budapest to bucharest cruise on viking umbria was one of the cities
Umbria is in central Italy, so its probably not related to your cruise. You must mistaken it with some other city.
your right my bad.question to a european do u realize how beautiful your countries are building wise church wise streets oceans to younger usa cities.i am blown away by the beauty of old european cities compared to usa
Yes, I m aware of that, but its easy to forget. For example, I live 2 hours with a car from Venice, but I was there maybe 5 times in my life. Its easy to spend a week there just visiting museums.
Where have you been in Europe?
I was glad to see Mitchell and Wiggins playing so well Mitchell needs to be more aggressive instead of passing up shots. He could be at least a 15 ppg/7 apg and a strong two way PG. He gives everything he has every game.
Wiggins has been steady and under the radar all season. Good guy and good team player. Not worth $30M+ a year. Miami is going to need the slot for the kid from Michigan.
I think Ware demonstrated what he can do alone. Him and Bam playing together consistently could do some damage.
ware alone better than ware with bam.its like in football u have two starting like qbs.pick one trade the other.the bam tyler playin teams are over ,bams a verygood player who can be a good #3 on an okc minn spurs champ type team
2023 play-in. Lost to Denver 1-4 in finals.
2024 play-in. Lost to Boston 1-4 first round.
2025 play-in. Lost to Cleveland 0-4 first round.
2026 play-in. Lost play-in. Failed to make the playoffs.
Is anyone getting the message that a new direction is needed?
Time to “Turn the Page”
bob seger fan? tyler herro fan?
Heat fan.
Lumping those together kinda implies you think they should trade Bam?
No, Unless there was a really great deal, I don’t see that happening.
An asterisk win for Charlotte. Would there be an official report from league regarding the dirty play? Or is it for last minute plays?
PORTLAND WINS!!!
#7 seed
And annoying Dirtbag Brooks fouled out.
And now we’re the 12th pick yayy
No, not yet. Phoenix would need to lose to the winner of the 9-10 game. I think the Clippers are more likely to win because the Warriors went into full tank mode. But I do actually think the Clippers can beat the Suns. If that happens, yes, we would get the 12th pick.
clippers with kawhi dangerous team.any team with playoff kawhi dangerous u put him with us prob win the east
exact type player we need nasty sob and some skills.i think the gardner might have that in him but of course hes not a top 15 fav
Dirty like Brooks? No thanks. I think Gardner is tough and feisty, but not dirty.
Lomelo is dirty. He’s walking around like a hero today when it was his dirty play which got Hornets past Heat and probably into the playoffs. League should suspend his ass one game, fine him and return Miami’s 2027 pick.
Another great game in Phoenix. Let’s go Portland!
Shannon Sharpe and Joe Johnson on Miami HEAT’s approach to star trades:
Shannon:
“Miami always trying to penny pinch. Ain’t nobody giving you their best players for spare parts, Pat Riley. Now, reports are he would be willing to move Tyler Herro. When you had a chance to get James Harden, you wouldn’t do it. You had a chance to possibly get KD, reports say you wouldn’t do it. Now all of a sudden? Kel’el Ware, you’re gonna have to get off him.”
Joe Johnson:
“If you’re Pat Riley, you gotta do something. You’re gonna be a Play-In team for however many years. You’ve gotta make a big splash this summer.”
i aint trading ware.im trading playin bam yesterday.who the f wants non playoff harden.to get kd herro had to be part of package prob with ware or bam.kds still great but his time is a dwindling.for bam herro id do that deal ,bam is a #3 type player .kd certified closer might be top 10-15 player all time.u take 3-4 years of kd for bam tyler
Excerpt from YARDBARKER 4/14/26
Heat lose to Hornets without Bam Adebayo after potentially dirty LaMelo Ball play
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra complained at length about the non-call, but the officials didn’t give Ball a common foul, much less a flagrant foul or a technical. The bang-bang play was a difficult call. Ball had just fallen to the floor after Simone Fontecchio blocked his shot, and Ball may not have realized Adebayo’s ankle was in his way as he pulled his left arm back to his body.
The Heat would argue that Ball knew exactly what he was doing and endangered Adebayo with his Cobra Kai-style arm sweep, sending him to the locker room. It looked worse in slow-motion, as Ball appeared to look right at Adebayo before yanking his ankle. No whistle blew, so the play continued with a Pelle Larsson layup and a dunk from Ball on the other end.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/heat-lose-to-hornets-without-bam-adebayo-after-potentially-dirty-lamelo-ball-play/ar-AA20UreM?ocid=BingNewsSerp&cvid=69df0f68c2f14489b9ea9bbd9a7bb1fd&cvpid=69df0fc74ec74d33800d541284c3e10c&ei=25
It was exactly what it looked like – a dirty play. He grabbed him by the ankle and pulled while holding his ankle! There’s no way anyone can explain it as an unintentional play. I am not saying he wanted to hurt him at that moment, but he clearly intended to take him down.
Exactly!
foul to give last possession was jjj aware of that he played that so soft
Spo should have called that…not Jaime.
bam for miles bridges?bam needs to go this is wares teamthey ant co exist ware is not a backup,ware adds 10 lbs of muscle he will be best center in east.he just gets pushed around to much but still grabbed 19 rebs but because dumbot didnt play him enough during reg season i think he kinda ran out of gas towards the end.jjj tried to take on bridges he stoned him every time cant remember jjj getting a layup.
Bam for Bridges? lol, no. Your memory must be bad, Jaquez had layups in this game.
He clearly pulled Bam’s leg out from under him and Bam fell on his tail bone. That was not a basketball move it was an MMA move with bad intent. He should have been immediately ejected. Instead, the refs didn’t even call a common foul.
Thank you, but I think that comment was meant for someone else.
he stoned jjj like i havent seen guys do he was fantastic defensively offensively to best player on ct.if hes a wife beater then i dont want him didnt realize that.bam ware doesnt work it hinders ware they cant play together at a high enough level at least they havent shown it yet
They haven’t consistently shown it because Spo has refused to commit to consistently playing them together.
Terrible take from a senile old man. I don’t want bridges on the team, also bam should only be traded for a top 15 player at least or a combination of 4 – 5 1st round drafts with a young ascending player at least.
thats my opinion dude senile old man 69 im a child of the woodstock era u know what that is.the best era best people thats where i come from woodstock and proud of it..bam just doesnt have that mamba in him hes living good mama adebayo nice house ajas beautiful lady.i dont see that guy id want as my best player on a team hes a #3 type.very good defensively except vs good bigs and average offensive player.who in biggest moments just aint there for u.rock on big guy u wanna listen to some hendrix zappelin or oz .how old r u btw r u a new generation fan of the 2000s
For Bridges is a very uneven trade unless they throw in a good pick. Bam has value, a 20/10 guy who can guard 1-5 is rare.
I’m 33 my g
Makes sense. We are short one woman beater.
Heat short one women beater?
Miami trades for Rozier, gives up first round pick. Charlotte and league don’t reveal that Rozier is under investigation.
League conducts internal investigation and concludes there is no evidence of wrongdoing (even though federal investigation indicates otherwise).
League hamstrings Heat by giving no relief for Heat paying a player almost $27m who plays part of one game for the season. (Don’t tell me it’s not addressed in the CBA. I know.)
Rather than giving Heat back the ill gained first round pick, the league gives them a second round pick that will be #41. There had been speculation that they could have given a pick at the end of the first round, #31. They didn’t.
Ball trips Bam, no foul, Bam out.
Thanks Charlotte
they gave us zo so now were even,theyve been sucky since their existence their nothing like atl wash and orl except for penny shaq days,now we are there to and they are trending up after decades of crape
They didn’t ‘give’ us anything. They got Rice, other players, and a first round pick. We are not even. But the issue is now over except for the possible recovery of the Rozier salary, which would help Arison but not the team.
Play of the game. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3IxcRc4nVX8
What an asshole and a dirty player. That’s the only way Hornets would have won. He should have been ejected for this dirty play, suspended and fined. Oh wait. I forgot. That’s Adam Silvers buddies in Charlotte. He’s screwed Miami six ways from Sunday every chance he gets.
Lamelo was our undoing watching too much cobra kai head ass, screw that loser ,you speaking straight facts 😤
12 for 31 he kept us in game
Spo also agrees Ball should have been ejected.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC38ZsEYQDI
so why wasnt he going ape sht at the time.big deal after the game.im sending somebody at ball maybe asking ud to come out of retirement .what a soft ass team nobody stepped up or got in balls face i felt like going thru tv at him
Spo could not challenge a no call. He admitted in post game he didn’t see the play at the time it happened. Most folks and referees didn’t see it although it was their job to be watching.
should have been a flagrant.lamelos gw layup was a walk
Remember what Jokic did with Morris?
If somebody would do the same to him, he would stay on the court just enough to break those mf knees. And most would agree that that was the right thing to do (at least in Europe).
Morris is/was a dirty player. He had it coming. Morris brothers are punks. I don’t blame Jokic one bit. Tit for tat. Eye for an eye.
There are some parallels between Avdija’s game and Jaime’s. Deni is even more skilled, but it’s possible that JJJ may develop even further.
I hope so, all he’s missing is that 3pt shot, and maybe a more consistent middy game. Although he did go 2 of 6 from beyond the arc.
Last 10 games he shot 40.9%
Thats good news to my ears .
denis bigger better version of jjj.