Inside The Heat

Miami Heat Now Chasing That "One Shining Moment" After Locking Up No. 10 Seed

Shandel Richardson|
Mar 31, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) and center Bam Adebayo (13) react during the third quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
Mar 31, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) and center Bam Adebayo (13) react during the third quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

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Miami Heat

The Miami Heat are in an all too familiar position.

Another season, another appearance in the Play-In Tournament.

The Heat had an impressive victory against the New Orleans Pelicans Friday, but it wasn't enough to help avoid the last spot in the Eastern Conference. They open the postseason at the Chicago Bulls Wednesday at United Center.

The Heat are viewing it as a chance for redemption after a third straight disappointing regular season.

"Winner goes home," Adebayo said. "It's like the NCAA Tournament. Anything can happen. We've seen teams in the tournament that have got swept by a team in the regular season and you get that one shining moment and it's a turnaround.

The Heat lost all three games against the Bulls this season, including a 119-111 defeat Wednesday in Chicago. The teams met last year in the Play-In, with the Heat winning and advancing to play the eventual champion Boston Celtics in the first round.

As the lowest seed, the Heat are in a single-elimination fight and must win two road games to make the playoffs.

"We're 0-3 against them in the season," Herro said. "It's going to be obviously a big challenge for us going on the road and winning two games. Nothing we haven't done before and we're ready for the challenge."

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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here