The Miami Heat delivered an emphatic final statement before the postseason grind begins, rolling past the Atlanta Hawks 143–117 on Sunday night in their regular season finale behind a balanced offensive explosion and a strong showing from their bench.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. led Miami’s second unit with 26 points, strengthening his case as one of the league’s top sixth-man contributors this season. Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell each added 25 points as the Heat closed the regular season on a high note and sharpened their edge ahead of a challenging play-in path.
Kel’el Ware chipped in 16 points for Miami (43–39), which will need to win two road games in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament to secure a playoff berth. The Heat accomplished that exact feat last season as the No. 10 seed, a blueprint they’ll look to follow again starting Tuesday in Charlotte.
Miami’s offensive rhythm was evident from the opening quarter and never faded. The Heat shot efficiently across the board, pushed the tempo, and capitalized on Atlanta’s shorthanded rotation to build a commanding advantage early and never look back. The victory also helped Miami set a franchise single-season scoring record with 9,911 total points.
Atlanta (46–36), already locked into the playoffs entering the game, opted to prioritize rest and health ahead of its first-round matchup. The Hawks sat several key contributors, including Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, CJ McCollum, Jalen Johnson, Jonathan Kuminga and Onyeka Okongwu.
Even with a shortened rotation, Atlanta got a standout performance from Buddy Hield, who poured in a game high 31 points in just 21 minutes off the bench. Corey Kispert added 21 points, while rookie Asa Newell contributed 17.
The Hawks also featured several lineup adjustments, with Tony Bradley making his first start since joining Atlanta. Kispert earned his eighth start of the season, Keaton Wallace his third, and Newell his second.
Despite the loss, Atlanta still secured its best regular-season record since the 2015–16 campaign. However, by resting key players Sunday, the Hawks slipped into the No. 6 seed and will now open the first round on the road against the No. 3 seed New York Knicks rather than facing Cleveland.
For Miami, the victory capped another strong regular season under head coach Erik Spoelstra. The Heat finished .500 or better for the 15th time in his 18 seasons at the helm, a testament to the franchise’s consistency and postseason resilience.
Now, the focus shifts quickly to survival mode.
The Heat travel to Charlotte on Tuesday night for their first play-in matchup, needing two consecutive road wins to reach the playoffs once again. If Sunday’s offensive surge is any indication, Miami enters the postseason with confidence and momentum at exactly the right time.
