The Miami Heat ended a five-game losing streak on Wednesday when they pulled off a 120-103 upset of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Behind a balanced attack, the Heat roared off the gate to lead 28-19 after the first quarter and ended the half with a 63-46 advantage. Miami allowed Cleveland to rally in the third quarter before recovering to pull away in the final 12 minutes.
Miami’s victory stopped its freefall from the tightly contested middle-of-the-pack Eastern Conference standings. The win improved their record to 39-34 for the No. 8 spot.
Here is how the Eastern Conference looks after Wednesday’s games:
The Miami Heat are likely out of the running for the No. 4 spot and the chance to host a first-round playoff series. They are 6.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (45-28) for the fourth seed. With eight games left, Cleveland is likely out of Miami’s reach.
Outright Playoff Berth is Miami Heat’s Best Case Scenario
If the regular season were to end today, the Miami Heat would open the play-in tournament with a road game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
However, the Heat, with still multiple games remaining, still have a good chance of nailing a guaranteed spot in the playoffs. Bam Adebayo and Co. are only 2.0 games behind the No. 5-ranked Atlanta Hawks (41-32) and 1.5 games adrift of the Toronto Raptors (40-32) for the final playoff ticket.
Additionally, Miami owns a 2-1 series lead against Atlanta before facing the Hawks in a crucial showdown in mid-April. The Heat are 0-2 in head-to-head games against the Raptors before taking them on twice next month.
To get that best-case scenario, the Heat can’t afford any losses as the Charlotte Hornets (38-34) and the Orlando Magic (38-34) are hot on their heels. Bam Adebayo and his teammates need to win as many games as they can and hope the teams ahead of them will stumble.
Miami Heat Have Favorable Schedule Compared to Teams Ahead of Them in Standings
On paper, the Miami Heat have a favorable schedule compared to the Atlanta Hawks, the Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers. According to Tankathon, the Heat’s remaining opponents have a .466 winning percentage.
Meanwhile, the Hawks have the sixth-toughest remaining schedule in the NBA, facing opponents with a .531 winning average. Philly (.512) and Toronto (.481) have slightly tougher games left than Miami.
The Miami Heat are also healthy for the first time in months. If they avoid injuries, they should be in a prime position to move up the standings for a possible guaranteed playoff spot.
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