The Miami Heat triumphed in their Play-In game and now face the Atlanta Hawks, who fell short in theirs. The two teams will clash for a shot at the postseason.
Who will advance? The feisty Miami Heat or the Trae Young-led Atlanta Hawks?
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Related: NBA Play-In: Heat beat Bulls
The Heat are a different team from when they started the year. They have lost Jimmy Butler and gained Andrew Wiggins. Miami looked to be on their way out early when they went up against the red-hot Chicago Bulls, but Tyler Herro stole the show, helping Miami beat Chicago 109-90.
The Hawks took on the Orlando Magic in their Play-In game and didn’t stand a chance. Atlanta was blown out 120-95 to Orlando, forcing them to play in one more Play-In game.
Now that matchup between the Heat and Hawks is set, we’ll take a look at who has the better chance of winning and clinching the eighth seed in the East.
Heat vs. Hawks: Season series
The Heat vs. Hawks season series was pretty even. They played four games against each other with each team winning two. Also, the home team won each game.
The first regular game took place on December 28, 2024, with the Hawks winning 120-110. They achieved this victory despite their best player, Young, scoring only 11 points on 3-13 shooting, including 2-9 from three.
The next matchup, which occurred on February 24, 2025, saw the Hawks win again, this time by a score of 98-86. In this game, Young struggled again, scoring 11 on 4-14 shooting, including 0-7 from three.
Once the season series shifted to Miami, which was just two days after the previous meeting, things changed. The Heat won 131-109, thanks to 24 points from both Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson.
As for Young, he scored 17, but still struggled to shoot, going 4-12 from the field. The final game was played on March 27, and the Heat won 122-112.
Young finally had a good game, scoring 29 points on 10-21 shooting and 6-12 from three. Still, the Hawks lost, thanks to Herro’s huge 36 points.
With a do-or-die game on the horizon, would it show up? Will Young regain his touch and have ice in his veins? Or will Herro be the hero once again?
Tip-off starts at 7:00 PM EST on Friday.
