After making history in the NBA Play-In mini-tournament by winning two games on the road, the Heat will hardly be afraid to face the Cavaliers, the top-seeded team, in the playoffs.
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Tyler Herro scored 30 points, including a couple of three-pointers in overtime, and the Heat rebounded after squandering an early lead to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 123-114 on Friday.
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Miami will play in Cleveland on Sunday night in the opening game of the first round series of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
“I knew how much our team wanted to get into this,” said Miami’s coach, Erik Spoelstra. “I could see it in their eyes and feel it in their hearts.”
Davion Mitchell scored just seven points in regular time before adding three three-pointers in overtime for Miami.
The Heat became the first team that, after finishing as the tenth seed in either conference, has made it to the playoffs since the current play-in format was introduced in the 2020-21 season. Miami is also the first play-in team to advance with two road victories.
“We did it the hard way. We are battle-tested,” said Haywood Highsmith, who totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds. “We can go anywhere and beat anyone.”
In response to the question about the challenge of facing Cleveland, Spoelstra said: “I am very grateful that we are in the playoffs. We are the first team to do something like this and, why not?, we can win two games as visitors.”
Highsmith added: “We fought to make it to the playoffs. Now that we’re in, we’re not going to go easy.”
Trae Young’s layup with 1.3 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 106 and forced overtime. Young scored 29 points with 11 assists. Onyeka Okongwu contributed 28 points and 12 rebounds.
“I consider not making the playoffs a failure,” acknowledged Young.
Miami started strong, scoring the first 10 points of the game and taking a 17-point lead, 45-28, in the second period.
The Hawks tied the game for the first time at 88 with a layup by Terance Mann. Young’s three-pointer gave Atlanta their first lead at 91-88 with 7:36 minutes remaining.
Atlanta had a 93-92 lead before Okongwu made a three-pointer. After a steal by Dyson Daniels, Okongwu’s dunk extended the lead to 98-92.
Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic, who had been out since February 23rd with a right hand fracture, was available but did not play. Guard Pelle Larsen (ankle) was also available for the first time since April 7th.
Grizzlies beat Mavericks
Ja Morant overcame a sprained right ankle to score 22 points and add nine assists, and the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Dallas Mavericks 120-106 on Friday to advance to the NBA playoffs.
Memphis secured the eighth spot in the Western Conference and will face Oklahoma City, the top seed, in a series of up to seven games that will begin on Sunday at Thunder’s court.
Morant was injured on Tuesday night in Golden State, in the first game of the play-in mini-tournament played by the Grizzlies. His participation in Friday’s game was in doubt.
“The doctors gave me all the help I needed in the simplest terms,” said Morant, whose availability was not certain until about 30 minutes before the start. “I wanted to be on the court. I wanted to play this game and get the win.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 24 points, and Desmond Bane added 22.
Anthony Davis led the Mavericks with 40 points and nine rebounds. Klay Thompson added 18 points.
Davis limped out in the last quarter with what seemed to be an injury to his right calf. He briefly returned, but did not finish the match.
He sat in the locker room after the game with a bandage and an ice pack on his leg. He said he tried to bear the pain, knowing that the match represented a win-or-go-home situation.
“We had our chances. Obviously, it was a tough defeat,” said Davis.
Memphis saw a 25-point lead in the first half fade away during the third quarter as the Mavericks put together a 27-12 run, before and after halftime. That reduced Dallas’ deficit to single digits midway through the third period.
The Grizzlies extended their lead again to 96-80 entering the fourth quarter and Dallas never threatened again.
Dallas, who defeated Sacramento 120-106 on Wednesday to earn the right to face the Grizzlies, did not seem to have the same spark to start the game.
He never had the advantage against Memphis.
Zach Edey totaled 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Grizzlies, while Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 13 points.
Memphis lost all four games against Oklahoma City during the regular season, all by double digits. Jackson said that the Grizzlies are facing a different situation in the first round.
“A series is a series,” Jackson said. “You have to keep a level head. Whether you win or lose a game, it really doesn’t matter until it’s over.”
Just like Memphis, the Mavs limped to the end of the season with a 7-15 record since March 1st. In the midst of that, they also lost Kyrie Irving to knee surgery after dealing with a trade that brought Davis to Dallas and sent star Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
“It was an incredible season, but with the trades and injuries, some would say we shouldn’t even be here,” said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. “So give a lot of credit to those guys in that locker room.”
Grizzlies defeat Mavericks 120-106 and will face the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.