The Miami Heat etched their name in NBA history, becoming the first 10th-seeded team to reach the playoffs through the play-in tournament.
Their remarkable journey culminated in a thrilling 123-114 overtime victory against the Atlanta Hawks, securing a first-round matchup with the Eastern Conference’s top seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Having entered the Eastern Conference play-in tournament needing consecutive road wins, the Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday before staging another gutsy performance against the Hawks.
Tyler Herro led the charge, scoring a game-high 30 points, including crucial free throws and three-pointers in overtime.
Herro praised his team’s resilience, saying, “Every single run that they made, we answered. This entire season has really built us up for this point.”
The Heat dominated the first half, leading by as much as 17 points, only for the Hawks to rally late and push the game into overtime with a dramatic lay-up from Trae Young.
In the extra period, Miami found their rhythm, with Davion Mitchell sinking three three-pointers alongside Herro’s decisive contributions.
In the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies dispatched the Dallas Mavericks 120-106 to set up a first-round clash with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Dallas’ troubled season ended on a sour note, plagued by Luka Doncic’s trade to the Los Angeles Lakers and Kyrie Irving’s season-ending ACL injury. Despite injury woes, Anthony Davis, who joined the Mavericks in the Doncic deal, put up 40 points and nine rebounds in a valiant effort.
