Heat Beat Hawks 143‑117, Set Play‑In Stage

The Miami Heat finished the regular season with a high‑scoring 143‑117 win over the Atlanta Hawks, giving them a spot in the play‑in tournament. Jaime Jaquez Jr. , who was vying for Sixth Man of the Year, poured in 26 points off the bench. Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell each added 25, while Kel’el Ware contributed 16 for Miami. Miami’s victory means they must win two road play‑in games to reach the playoffs, a challenge they faced as the No. 10 seed last season. Atlanta’s plan was to keep key players rested, so they left out Nickeil Alexander‑Walker, Dyson Daniels, CJ McCollum, Jalen Johnson, Jonathan Kuminga and Onyeka Okongwu.

Despite the rest strategy, the Hawks lost a chance to finish higher in the East; they could have been No. 5 if they had won. Buddy Hield led the team with 31 points in just 21 minutes off the bench, and Corey Kispert added 21 while Asa Newell scored 17. The Heat’s season total of 9, 911 points is a franchise record. Atlanta finished 46‑36, their best record since the 2015‑16 season, while Miami ended 43‑39, keeping Erik Spoelstra’s team at or above . 500 for the fifteenth time in his 18 seasons. Looking ahead, the Hawks will face the No. 3 seed New York in the first round of the East playoffs, while Miami will travel to Charlotte for a play‑in game on Tuesday.

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