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Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was asked about the opportunity of being in the play-in and the pressure it adds.
The Miami Heat have been in the NBA play-in tournament for three consecutive seasons, and sitting at eighth in the Eastern Conference, appear to be heading back.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was asked about the pressure of yet another season being in the play-in, and what needs to happen for the Heat to avoid the tournament.
“Good. I hope so. That pressure is a privilege,” Spoelstra told the media. “I want our locker room to feel that pressure. We need to push our game to a higher level.”
His comments came after the Heat lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 128-117 on February 24. The Heat led the majority of the game before being outscored 39-24 in the fourth quarter to lose by double digits.
“Defensively, it just wasn’t a great game,” Spoelstra said. “It would’ve required a whole lot more. It started in the first quarter; we didn’t set the tone for the game.”
Heat guard Davion Mitchell had a similar sentiment as Spoelstra, blaming the team’s defense for falling short.
“I think our defense kind of made those missed shots,” Mitchell said. “We’ve got to just move on to the next play. NBA players are going to make shots.”
The Heat’s first play-in tournament appearance came in 2023, when, as the eight seed, the team made the NBA Finals.
Over the last two seasons, however, the Heat have had two first-round exits. Avoiding the play-in tournament as a whole would go a long way to reversing that trend.
Who do the Miami Heat Have to Pass in the Standings to Avoid the Play-in Tournament?
The Miami Heat are currently in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 31-28. While escaping the play-in from their position won’t be easy, it’s certainly not impossible.
These are the current Eastern Conference seedings from fifth place to tenth:
5. Toronto Raptors (34-24)
6. Philadelphia 76ers (32-26)
7. Orlando Magic (31-26)
8. Miami Heat (31-28)
9. Atlanta Hawks (29-31)
10. Charlotte Hornets (28-31)
Many of the teams in the play-in list are “frequent fliers.” The only NBA team with more play-in tournament appearances than the Heat is the Hawks, who have played in the play-in in four consecutive seasons.
Every team in the standings listed above has appeared in at least one play-in tournament.
The Heat are currently -270 to make the NBA playoffs, and -270 to qualify for the play-in, according to FanDuel.
Who do the Miami Heat Play Next?
The Miami Heat will play the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, February 26, in a game that holds a lot of significance in the Eastern Conference standings.
Based on the current standings, the Heat are only 1.5 games behind the 76ers. A win would put the Heat within 0.5 games of their foes.
Anthony Chiang of the Miami Heard reported the Heat will be without forward Nikola Jovic (lower back injury management) and Davion Mitchell is questionable (illness).
The rest of the Heat’s roster will be available.
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