The Miami Heat will be looking to get back on track against the Philadelphia 76ers after losing to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. What's on the line? The real opportunity to prove that they can break the Play-In stigma that they've been haunted by for the past few years.
At 31-28, Miami still sits in a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference, and it seems like no matter how many mini win streaks they go on this season, they neither move up in the standings nor down, which is a good thing.
Not moving up, however, has been frustrating to watch, which is why Miami's face-off against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday provides the opportunity to finally move up in the standings, with play-in implications if things go the Heat's way.
A win against the 76ers can open the door for a path out of the play-in if the Heat can continue their surge
What the Heat want to avoid most is a fourth consecutive year finishing the regular season as a play-in team. It's been their narrative, storyline, and almost-expected finished result since their finals run in 2023.
They still have time to claw their way out of that position and into playoff seeding, but just as much as they have to win consistently, things around them also have to go Miami's way. Beating the 76ers on Thursday and jumping over them in the standings will take care of a tiebreaker that would play a role later in the season.
What could also go Miami's way is if Joel Embiid sits out, as he did for the 76ers' win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. Embiid is dealing with a knee issue, but is currently listed as probable against the Heat. But, as is always the case with the All-Star center, it's certainly one thing to monitor.
Miami also needs to think about its Florida state neighbor, the Orlando Magic, who currently sit in the seventh seed, with one fewer win and loss than Miami. If the Heat can pass over Orlando, that tiebreaker could become irrelevant down the road. The Magic are also dealing with their own injuries, which helps the Heat.
For now, the Heat need to win a game against the 76ers (with or without Embiid). Miami missed an opportunity against the Bucks earlier this week, but the team knows what the collective goal is now.
“Our coach talks about it every day. As players, really me and Bam [Adebayo] who’ve been here, we want to get out of the play-in," Herro said. "That’s our goal, or that’s our first goal. We’ve got a lot of goals, but that’s actually our first goal.”