The Miami Heat aren’t busy resting, they’re working. However, there is a certain mystique to the work that they currently find themselves doing.
Not knowing who they will face in the opening round of the postseason tournament, an answer to their question became a bit clearer on Wednesday night.
After seeing the Brooklyn Nets advance to become the number seven seed in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday over the Cleveland Cavaliers, earning the right to face the Boston Celtics in their first-round series, the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Hornets would go at it Wednesday.
That would serve to determine who would then see those Cavaliers on Friday, determining the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff seed.
Ah, breathe in the fresh smell of the NBA Play-In Tournament. Isn’t it lovely?
The winner of Friday’s game will, of course, advance with the privilege of a meeting with the Miami Heat on Sunday. What a privilege that will be, huh?
Miami Heat: Atlanta Hawks And Cavaliers Final Two Round 1 Contestants
In the last month of the season though and with the Hawks actually being the last real game of the season for Miami, as they would sit most of their regular guys in Victor Oladipo‘s private Orlando showcase on the final night of the regular year for them, Miami would beat Atlanta in a great win to close the year.
That’s because that game was a comeback victory over the same Hawks that dismantled the Charlotte Hornets late in their play-in game.
And by dismantle, you mean to a final tally of 132-103.
The Miami Heat beat the Cleveland Cavaliers back in March after losing their previous several matchups to the young team, so there’s also that. As far as the matchup between Atlanta and Cleveland though, it should be an interesting one.
If you take them both at face value, you are looking at the complete opposite versions of one another. You have an, almost, complete dichotomy on either side of it.
Miami Heat: Beating Them Both To Close Year, Neither Would Be A Huge Threat
Atlanta can score with the best of them, as seen in their blowout win over the Hornets, while Cleveland can put up a few points when they get going as well behind Darius Garland.
The Cavs, however, want to get stops and can with their length, especially if Jarrett Allen goes, while the Hawks are challenged in that area.
Though Atlanta found a way to make a few stops against the Hornets, that was more of a function of getting out to a better start offensively, as a whole, while being able to make more shots than the Hornets did throughout.
With that said, you have to think that Cleveland stands the best chance to win this one.
Either way it goes, either of them should lose to the Miami Heat in the first round and not closely. The series, either of them, wouldn’t go more than five and six by the most fortunate stroke of luck, in the Heat’s favor of course.
Only Friday will tell but either way, you know the Miami Heat will be ready for whoever.