As the 2025 NBA playoffs approach, eight teams are competing in this week's Play-In Tournament to secure the final playoff berths. The stakes are high as teams battle for a chance to advance.
On Wednesday, the Miami Heat kept their hopes alive with a commanding victory over the Chicago Bulls, while the Dallas Mavericks followed suit with a decisive win against the Sacramento Kings later that evening. Earlier in the week, the Orlando Magic triumphed over the Atlanta Hawks, and the Golden State Warriors narrowly edged out the Memphis Grizzlies in a tense matchup.
These results set the stage for an exciting lineup on Friday night: the Heat will face the Hawks, while the Mavericks will take on the Grizzlies.
In their matchup, Tyler Herro was instrumental for the Heat, scoring 23 points and helping Miami establish a 71-47 lead by halftime. This victory marked the third consecutive year the Heat eliminated the Bulls from the Play-In Tournament. Miami will compete against Atlanta on Friday for an opportunity to challenge the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, following the Hawks' defeat to Orlando earlier in the week.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra reflected on the team's journey, stating, “We’re only halfway there. We didn’t have the luxury of just one game to secure our spot. The guys are thrilled with this win, but we’ve put a lot of effort into getting here. This progress hasn’t happened overnight; we’ve seen positive developments over the last few weeks.”
The road to this moment has been challenging for the Heat. They dealt with a tumultuous situation involving Jimmy Butler, culminating in a trade to Golden State in February, alongside a disheartening 10-game losing streak in March. However, Miami rebounded by winning eight of their last 12 games, finishing the regular season with a record of 37-45 and securing the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference.
Against the Bulls, Herro started strong, making his first eight shots and finishing the game with an impressive 13 of 19 shooting. Andrew Wiggins contributed significantly with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Bam Adebayo added a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Davion Mitchell also played a vital role, providing 15 points and nine assists. The Heat's defense was formidable, recording 10 steals and seven blocks, which helped avenge a three-game regular-season sweep by the Bulls.
In contrast, the Kings had previously bested the Mavericks in all three of their meetings this season, including a thrilling overtime match in February where DeMar DeRozan scored 42 points, clinching the game with a last-second shot.
The Mavericks opened the second quarter against the Kings with a powerful 20-6 run, highlighted by consecutive three-pointers from Klay Thompson. By halftime, Dallas had surged to a 23-point lead, effectively eliminating any suspense from the game.
Davis led Dallas with 27 points, commenting, “We shot well, secured defensive stops, and were able to push the pace. We scored 44 points in that quarter and played with great tempo.”
DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 33 points, while Zach LaVine added 20. This outcome was particularly disappointing for Sacramento, marking another underwhelming season. The Kings had made significant changes, including firing coach Mike Brown in December and trading star point guard De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio in February, resulting in their failure to make the playoffs for the 18th time in 19 seasons. This raises concerns about the future of the franchise and the status of interim coach Doug Christie.
“This is where I want to be,” Christie stated. “I need to finish what I started.”
In a reflective moment, Thompson noted that one year prior, he had missed all 10 of his shots in a play-in loss for Golden State in Sacramento. This time, he made a decisive impact with four three-pointers during Dallas’ explosive second quarter, keeping the Mavericks' tumultuous season alive for at least one more game.
“Human nature tells you to come out and prove people wrong after a tough ending to the season,” Thompson said. “I focused on facilitating, rebounding, and playing defense early on, and the shots came later.”
With this victory, Dallas advanced to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, vying for a shot at the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. The winner of that game will meet the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder when the playoffs commence on Sunday.
Zainab Y.
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