The Miami Heat went down to the Boston Celtics 147-129 on Wednesday. Miami trailed by 27 points early before trimming the lead to nine points early in the fourth quarter. The Heat eventually failed to overcome Jaylen Brown’s 43-point explosion and Jayson Tatum’s triple-double to lose all four games to the Celtics this season.
More worryingly, the Heat are 2-7 since mid-March, which included an embarrassing 135-118 loss to the 18-58 Indiana Pacers on Sunday. The good news for Miami is that it remarkably remains in contention for an outright playoff berth despite the rough stretch.
Eastern Conference Updated Standings
The loss to the Celtics dropped Miami’s record to 40-37 for the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference. Here is how the East looks after Wednesday’s games:
Despite their struggles, the Heat are just 2.5 games behind the Philadelphia 76ers (42-34) for the No. 6 spot in their conference. However, they can’t afford any more losses in their last five games to keep their outright playoff hopes alive.
Best Case Scenario for Miami Heat Is Punching an Outright Playoff Ticket
The Miami Heat’s 119-109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday could make a crucial difference in their playoff push. With the victory, the Heat won the season series, 2-1, against the 76ers and gained the advantage in a potential tiebreaker. If Miami and Philly end up with the same record, Bam Adebayo and Co. will get the higher seeding.
For the Heat to move up the standings, they must run the table and hope the 76ers, the Toronto Raptors (42-34), the Charlotte Hornets (40-36) and the Orlando Magic (40-36) fall into a slump.
If the Miami Heat remain at No. 10, they will need to win two play-in tournament games on the road to clinch the No. 8 seed and final playoff spot.
Heat Will Be Away From Miami in Three of Their Final Five Games
After the loss to the Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat will remain in South Beach to host the Washington Wizards. The last time these two teams met, Bam Adebayo exploded for 83 points.
After the game against the Wizards, the Heat will be on the road for three straight games. They will face the Toronto Raptors twice, a series that could determine whether they earn an outright playoff spot or compete in the play-in tournament. After back-to-back games against the Raptors, they will have their final away game in Washington to take on the Wizards again.
Miami will close the regular season at home against the Atlanta Hawks, a team that’s trying to move up to the No. 4 spot to host a first-round playoff series.
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