Miami Heat Face Must-Win Against Hornets As Jimmy Butler Reunion Looms

Calling an NBA regular-season game a “must-win” is akin to crying wolf or knocking on your neighbor’s door and screaming that the sky is falling. It’s hard to be taken seriously when you say one game in 82 is of vital importance, especially when there’s another game scheduled right behind it and the college kids are playing actual elimination games in the NCAA Tournament everyone is watching.

With that common sense qualifier out of the way, scream the following from the mountaintops and send a chorus next door with signs and chants: Sunday’s game against the visiting Charlotte Hornets is a must-win for the Miami Heat.

If you haven’t heard, Jimmy Butler arrives with the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. The thought of a reunion with the former face of the franchise while saddled with an 11-game losing streak would be like a groom who has been jilted at the altar running into his hot ex-fiancee while sunburnt after putting on 50 pounds due to eating his feelings.

It would make what promises to be an already ugly scene even more unbearable.

Beyond the Butler factor, there’s also a matter of revenge in play as the Heat look to exorcise demons that have sabotaged their season down the stretch. This 10-game skid has featured a number of blown leads to continue what has been a crippling prevailing theme for Miami all season, but squandering an 17-point lead against the Hornets in a 105-102 setback on March 10 was arguably the team’s ugliest loss.

Given that the team enters this final Sunday game until the ‘24-’25 regular-season finale 29-41, the fact that loss to Charlotte less than two weeks ago stands out speaks volumes over how demoralizing it was. Miami’s first double-digit losing streak since ‘07-’08 would’ve never come to pass if it had closed out a game it led nearly wire-to-wire before falling behind for good with 41 seconds left.

The Heat are 13-3 over their last 16 games against the Hornets, so finishing this season with a split against a Southeast Division foe that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2016 would be a rough look.

Miami has been an underdog in five straight games and all but two of the losses in this run have come to playoff locks with winning records. Only Chicago and Charlotte don’t fall in that category, and the Bulls have now passed the Heat in the Eastern Conference standings.

That’s another reason it’s not hyperbolic to label this a “must-win.” Although winning the Southeast Division seems unlikely, moving up the No. 8 seed and staying out of an elimination game in the play-in remains possible since Orlando is just 3.5 games ahead and has the tougher remaining schedule.

Even if the Heat can’t catch the Magic, they can move back ahead of Chicago, who they visit on April 9, and at least secure homecourt for a winner-take-all elimination game.

While only the most optimistic of Heat fans are still dreaming about making noise this postseason, Andrew Wiggins returning from his injury to score 30 points in Friday’s loss to the Heat and Bam Adebayo posting three of those this month in his most productive stretch of the season have been positive developments.

Tyler Herro continues to produce at an All-Star level, rookie Kel’el Ware has double-doubles in three of his last four games and Terry Rozier finally appears to be out of Erik Spoelstra’s rotation, so there’s plenty to be encouraged about despite 10 straight defeats.

Losing to the Hornets again would feel like the end of the world, especially with Butler coming through looking all fly and ready to give the NBA another dose of “Playoff” Jimmy.

It's not an elimination game, but beating the Hornets on Sunday is a must.

Tony Mejia is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at tnyce1414@gmail.com