Bam Adebayo's injury and a buzzer-beater dash playoff dreams. The Charlotte Hornets snatch victory in overtime thriller, leaving the Miami Heat's season abruptly ended.
The Miami Heat will miss the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2019 after suffering a 127-126 loss in overtime to the Charlotte Hornets in a win-or-go-home Play-In Tournament situation. Three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo only played 11 first-half minutes due to suffering a lower back injury and wouldn’t return. Despite other Heat players making up for the 28-year-old’s absence, it wasn’t enough in the very end.
Davion Mitchell made a name for himself in the Play-In Tournament last season and found a new gear on Tuesday night. He led the team with 28 points on 50 percent shooting, including four three-pointers made, six assists, two steals, and a block in 48 minutes. The fifth-year guard made an impact on both sides of the court. Followed by a 27-point performance by Andrew Wiggins on 55.6 percent shooting, including four three-pointers made, seven rebounds, and three assists in 42 minutes.
Arguably, the biggest Heat player to step up was Kel’el Ware. It’s difficult to replicate Adebayo’s impact, but the 21-year-old made the most of an extended opportunity. He finished with 12 points on 41.7 percent shooting, 19 rebounds, including six from the offensive glass, four assists, and five blocks. However, Ware wasn’t on the court in the final seconds of overtime when Hornets superstar LaMelo Ball made the game-winning layup. A presence in the paint would’ve been beneficial, but without Adebayo, the Heat relied on the zone defense and played Wiggins minutes at center.
Coby White had been an x-factor for the Hornets since the trade before the Feb. 5 deadline. Despite a quiet two-point first half, the 26-year-old scored 14 in the third quarter, then made a catch-and-shoot three in the fourth to send the game to overtime. He finished with 19 points on 46.7 percent shooting, including five three-pointers made, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 26 minutes.
Ball had ups and downs throughout the game, from fouling Tyler Herro on a three-point attempt to give the Heat the lead in overtime to scoring the game-winner. He finished with a game-high 30 points, five rebounds, 10 assists, a steal, and a block in 40 minutes. However, the former All-Star went two-of-16 from behind the arc. Despite the poor shooting, Ball showed up in the biggest moment.
The Heat won the fastbreak battle 17-5, but the Hornets crashed the glass more 54-48.
There will be numerous questions facing the organization, especially regarding roster construction. After an underwhelming 43-39 regular season, a hard reset could be in order.
Make sure to check out the latest of the HeatWave Podcast, part of the Roundtable Sports Network, hosted by Miami Heat beat writer Anthony Aguirre.
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