This is our GAMETHREAD: Chat live about the game here!
Injury Report
Miami Heat:
- Tyler Herro (groin) — AVAILABLE
- Keshad Johnson (G-League) — OUT
- Dru Smith (achilles) — OUT
- Kevin Love (personal reasons) — OUT
Atlanta Hawks:
- Larry Nance Jr. (knee) — OUT
- Jalen Johnson (shoulder) — OUT
- Vit Krejci (back) — OUT
- Kobe Bufkin (shoulder) — OUT
Starting 5:
Miami Heat:
- Tyler Herro, G
- Davion Mitchell, G
- Andrew Wiggins, F
- Bam Adebayo, F
- Kel’el Ware, C
Atlanta Hawks:
- Dyson Daniels, G
- Trae Young, G
- Mouhamed Gueye, F
- Zaccharie Risacher, F
- Onyeke Okongwu, C
Broadcast Info:
- Tipoff: 7:30 PM EST
- TV: FanDuel Sports Network Sun (Eric Reid & John Crotty)
- Radio: AM 560 Sports WQAM & The HEAT Radio Network (Jason Jackson)
- Spanish Radio: WAQI 710 AM & The HEAT Spanish Radio Network (José Pañeda)
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@RC you asked why I’m calling out Pat and management:
Well go back a ways:
Ty Johnson contract
James Johnson contract
Dion Waiters contract
Precious Achiuwa over Tyreese Maxey
Duncan Robinson extension
Kyle Lowry trade
Vic Olidipo trade
Terry Rozier trade
Jimmy Butler contract – no matter the return, it’s clear the situation was botched.
There’s been others (Haywood Highsmith getting lots of run lately huh?)
As for the cheap owner, yeah high payroll, but I’ll forever remember him breaking up the LeBron years early, with his unwillingness to pay luxury tax and dropping LeBron’s friend Mike Miller. Can easily add the letting Wade walk too. Wade may have been close to washed, but they didnt want to pay him.
Thanks. Agree on TJ, JJ, Dion, Duncan, Lowry, and I would add Whiteside to your list. Precious at the time was projected as a top 10 pick, so it wasn’t a mistake to choose him there. The same thing happened with Winslow/Booker. Stuff like that happens. Instead of Beasley, they could have had Love, Westbrook, or Brook. I was all for a Butler trade during trading season last year. His play was often lackadaisical, and we could have gotten a much better return then. Ultimately, his poor attitude, play, and public comments deep sixed the team. Did Riley deserve a share of the blame? Sure. Was the debacle mostly on Butler? Yes.
At the salary level Highsmith is at, he’s given the Heat value, but, yes, not lately.
The Olidipo situation was very unfortunate. He was a pretty dynamic player when healthy. Making the second year a team option would’ve been a better idea.
No one could have expected Rozier to have this bad a season based on his history. His numbers are down from his career averages in almost every category.
LeBron broke up the LeBron years, not Riley. And LeBron was so upset about the Miller cut, but didn’t give a rats butt when Cleveland dumped him. Just like telling the Heat to draft Napier.
So, I absolutely don’t disagree with you on everything, but I do disagree with you on some issues. But I appreciate you spelling out your position.
I think Riley knew he should have traded Butler last summer. But, after Butler came into camp with a smile and a positive attitude, Pat probably thought he was going to set the same positive tone for the season that he had set in Training camp. Apparently, Butler later changed his mind, became a disruptive force and eventually quiet quit on his teammates in order to force a trade.
https://allucanheat.com/posts/3-observation-miami-heat-return-from-training-camp
I do think both Riley and Spo have had a bad couple of years. I expect Riley to retire in the next year or two. Maybe when he does, Spo can move into his spot and Miami can promote or recruit a new coach who has a track record of teambuilding and creating a winning attitude and developing winning teams.
Easy, easy, easy on Pat.
True a few mistakes were made but I won’t blame him for Duncan’ s extension. Duncan was blazing 🔥 and could have gone elsewhere. It would have been tough to see your developmental project go elsewhere. I still have not given up on Duncan.
Yes, there have been miscues.
I think it all boiled down to being cheap with the rest. You get what you pay for.
im not upset we are mediocre cant wait till off season
That will be the first step. Second step will be summer of 2026 when Rozier, Highsmith and Love contracts expire. Hopefully, Robinson will be gone this summer one way or the other. Burks and Mitchell may also be gone this summer. The Heat needs to put the brakes on mortgaging the future next year by trading its assets or by bringing in a washed up player. One more year before Heat will be in a financial and cap position to bring in a whale. There will be several all-star caliber free agents in 2026. See below.
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/_/year/2026/sort/contract_value
better days are coming yes not this year gn eric
u just have to lower your expectations and enjoy eric reid..ty eric for your great announcing
jimmy why did u do this to me big and rc we dont deverve it
We deserve not to make playoffs smh, I’m going to roll up, smoke, and go to gym.
I’m not mad about the losses, but they’d be more enjoyable if the kids got more run.
Burks getting 27 minutes, while Mitchell got less, while Pelle get none…frustrating.
This team is not competitive, lose with gaining experience versus losing with 36 year olds.
very good point
I agree with that. The perennial ‘win now’ approach is fine if you have a legitimate chance to win it all. They didn’t last season and even less of a chance this season. Give reasonable minutes to Keshad, Pelle, Christopher, Stevens, and, of course, Ware. There will be errors, missed shots, and turnovers, but it will allow them to learn, and give management an opportunity to see what they have.
what is wares injury?spobot
Ware looked perfectly fine walking off the court. Ware’s injury more likely Spo mismanagement.
Our coach has been dealt a bad hand, but he hasn’t made it better.
In fact he’s had made the biggest gaffe I’ve seen from an nba coach in a long time with that calling a timeout to lose with none for a tech against the Pistons.
I for one am rooting for an organizational blow up this off season. He culture seems dead. He’s GM is washed. And Heat’s head coach looks burned out.
Spo has been bad since he signed that extension. Defend him to the high heavens/basketball gods all y’all want he has not been good since then poor rotations, not playing rookies early when they should, sticking with guys he shouldn’t etc etc etc. yes management hasn’t helped but he’s not blameless in none of this.
we had wade bron bosh shaq jimmy ok so now we are mediocre critical off season coming
How do you have a critical off season with no cap room and limited draft assets? You don’t. You run it back…again.
trade bam let ware roam the middle
I’d rather trade Herro than bam
what is keshod johnson i know what dunc jjj slo mo burks hh etc they are all below avg players night in night out lots evidence of that.
Miami down 20, with 3 seconds left.
Eric Reid: “It’s slipping away folks”
hes da best zac .he is the miami heat if jason jackson was doing games dont think id be watching
when your best player suks u usually suk.d wade never had games like ty has had
ware must be injured i guess
The only thing that makes sense, cuz burks been terrible tonight.
Time running out
This is spo’s worst season coaching in a long time.
wow disagree with that call
Screw you ref
BS call!
That should be a clear path.
diubt we get that call ill take the foul call
trae held first
Young grabbed him first
I don’t understand why burks still in, where is ware?
spobot part of our problem big
Yea he’s stubborn as an ox.
wares where smh
burks has the caleb martin line drive shot
Herro, Robinson, and Burks have combined to go 5 for 34. Impressive.
herro gets a pass other two no .did u watch ast night night before night before night before,tys been great all year
Might need go back with 6th man pelle, and call up keshad from gleague.
Atlanta over the limit with half of a quarter left, meaning every foul is free throws for the Heat. And that slows the game down a bit. Still a chance.
wheres ware smh
We need ware in this
like slomos shake n bake that was sweet
bam took a paid vacation tonight
Closing lineup should be herro,wiggy,slo-mo,bam,ware.
I’ll say this for Duncan. He tried his very best to foul LeVert on that rundown. 😆
Slo-mo Been the 3rd best player tonight.
i got ware wiggy 1 2
I got wiggy, ware 1 2
wares been our best player hello eric wake up he aint tired
If we lose this on the players
About time burks
Then hits a 3, finally
Only thing he did all night smh
wheres ware he s been really good.put bam on bench.ware aint tired spobot bam is
Only Wiggins came to play offensively.
That should be foul hit Wiggins in the face
Wiggins single-handedly trying to keep us in this game. Unfortunately, not getting much help anywhere else.
refs suk to
the announcing been great as usual.the play on the ct not mediocre tonight just bad
At least free throw shooting been good .
Burks been cheeks tonight.
ty?
Bad too, but I think he tired after that 40 piece.
dunc u r the worse def player ive ever seen
Worst then babbitt?
yes yes yes
Lol. I am so on board with you about seeing Duncan gone after the season. Enough is enough. That dumb foul with 1 second left was abysmal.
wow rc im shocked
Haha
slomo dunc playing over terry right decision who would have ever thunk that
ind won 16 of 21 thats a team that might challenge bost cleve?
Depends on coaching remember he blew like 2 games against Boston, but I feel like it’s either Cleveland or Boston coming out the east.
thats what everybody says but u win 16 of 21 thats impressive
Still in this mud wrestling fest .
Ware Been decent tonight
So….Heat with the deficit. They’re flipping the story and they’ll come from behind and win 😁😁