On Wednesday, the Miami Heat suffered a severe blow in their quest for a postseason berth, losing 111-92 to the Dallas Mavericks at home. Miami looked exhausted a day after forcing a dramatic double-overtime away triumph over the Atlanta Hawks, winning 117-111. In the first half, it fell behind by twenty-five points.
The Heat (44-36) are eighth in the East after losing to Dallas on Wednesday. They are behind the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers (45-35) by 1.0 game. Although the season series between Miami and Philadelphia was tied 2-2, the Heat had a more robust conference record (30-20 versus 29-21). Thus, the tiebreaker belongs to them.
The Sixers must lose at least one of their two matches for the Heat to qualify for the tiebreaker, even if they win 2-0. Furthermore, the Miami Heat is unlikely to place better than sixth and miss the play-in round. It is 2.0 games behind the Orlando Magic (46-34) and Indiana Pacers (46-34), ranked fifth and sixth, respectively.
The Heat defeated the Magic 3-1 in their season series, while they fell short against the Pacers 2-1. They solely hold the tiebreaker with the Magic. But with 6.5 games to spare against the Chicago Bulls (37-42) in ninth place, Miami has already secured a play-in position, according to the standings on the NBA website.
Things Miami Heat Need in Their Favor to Qualify
Given that its next two games are against the struggling Toronto Raptors (25-55), Miami should have a solid chance of finishing the season with a pair of victories.
The Heat and Raptors will play in Miami on Friday and Sunday. If the Heat perform well against Toronto and receive assistance from the Sixers, they may guarantee a top-seven finish and homecourt advantage in the play-in game.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Miami Heat rely primarily on their top-five defense since they are only ranked 21st in offensive rating. Because of their excellent defense, they should have a good postseason. To be a real postseason danger, though, they’ll probably need more players to step up offensively than star forward Jimmy Butler and center Herro.
Also Read: Did the Dallas Mavericks Qualify for the NBA Playoffs After a Win Over the Charlotte Hornets?
