Back
Sports

Miami Heat Defeat Atlanta Hawks in Final Regular Season Game, Playoff Seeding Set

Generated on: Last updated: 1 sources
View source

Heat Set Franchise Record in Season Finale, Hawks Secure No. 6 Seed

The Miami Heat concluded their regular season with a 143-117 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. The outcome finalized postseason positioning for both teams, with Atlanta securing the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and Miami entering the play-in tournament.

Game Results and Individual Performances

The Miami Heat defeated the Atlanta Hawks by a score of 143-117. The 143 points set a new single-game franchise record for Miami.

Miami Heat Scoring Leaders:

  • Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 26 points
  • Bam Adebayo: 25 points
  • Norman Powell: 25 points
  • Kel'el Ware: 16 points

Atlanta Hawks Scoring Leaders:

  • Buddy Hield: 31 points (game-high)
  • Corey Kispert: 21 points
  • Asa Newell: 17 points

Regular Season Records and Milestones

  • The Miami Heat finished the regular season with a record of 43 wins and 39 losses.
  • The Atlanta Hawks finished the regular season with a record of 46 wins and 36 losses. This marks the team's best record since the 2015-16 season.
  • The Heat set a franchise single-season record by scoring 9,911 total points.
  • This is the 15th time in 18 seasons under head coach Erik Spoelstra that the Heat have finished with a record of .500 or better.

Playoff Implications and Roster Decisions

The game had significant implications for the final Eastern Conference playoff seeding.

  • The Atlanta Hawks had already secured a playoff spot prior to the game. The loss resulted in the team finishing as the No. 6 seed. A win would have given them the No. 5 seed.
  • As the No. 6 seed, Atlanta will face the No. 3 seed New York Knicks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
  • The Miami Heat will enter the NBA play-in tournament as a lower seed. To qualify for the playoffs, they must win two road games.

The Atlanta Hawks chose to rest several regular rotation players for the game. Players who did not play included Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, CJ McCollum, Jalen Johnson, Jonathan Kuminga, and Onyeka Okongwu. In their absence:

  • Tony Bradley made his first start of the season for Atlanta.
  • Corey Kispert made his eighth start.
  • Keaton Wallace made his third start.
  • Asa Newell made his second start.

Hawks coach Quin Snyder stated, "The focus for us has been on our guys going into the postseason healthy. And after that, we’ll figure out who we’re playing and all those things when we get to the postseason."

Upcoming Schedule

  • The Miami Heat will play the Charlotte Hornets in an Eastern Conference play-in tournament game on Tuesday.
  • The Atlanta Hawks will begin their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks this weekend.