Heat clinches top seed in East for fourth time in franchise history. A look at what’s next
It’s official: The Miami Heat will enter the NBA playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s top seed for just the fourth time in franchise history.
With the Milwaukee Bucks defeating the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors defeating the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night, the Heat clinched the East’s top playoff seed. Miami also entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the 2012-13, 2004-05 and 1998-99 seasons.
The Heat will open the playoffs on Sunday, April 17 at FTX Arena and owns home-court through at least the first three rounds of the playoffs. That means a potential Game 7 would be played at FTX Arena against any East playoff opponent.
With the top spot now secured, the Heat must now decide how to handle its final two regular-games: Friday against the Hawks at FTX Arena (8 p.m., Bally Sports Sun) and Sunday against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center.
Heat starting forward P.J. Tucker has already been ruled out of both games because of a right calf strain. The Heat also listed Dewayne Dedmon (right ankle sprain), Haywood Highsmith (left hip flexor strain), Caleb Martin (right calf contusion), Markieff Morris (left hip flexor strain), Gabe Vincent (right big toe contusion) and Omer Yurtseven (non-COVID illness) as questionable for Friday’s game against the Hawks.
Behind the Heat, the second-place Bucks are one-half game ahead of the third-place Celtics and one game ahead of the fourth-place 76ers as those teams battle for playoff positioning.
The Heat knows it will be the East’s top seed and which day it will open the playoffs, but its first-round opponent won’t be decided until late next week. Miami’s four potential first-round opponents are the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets.
What’s the reason for the delay? The Heat’s first-round opponent will be determined by the play-in tournament, which will take place from April 12-15.
Here’s how it works: At the end of the regular season, the team with the seventh-highest winning percentage in each conference will host the team with the eighth-highest winning percentage in its conference in a play-in game on Tuesday. The winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchup will be the seventh seed in the playoffs for its conference.
The team with the ninth-highest winning percentage in each conference will host the team with the tenth-highest winning percentage in its conference in a play-in game on Wednesday.
The loser of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game will then host the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 game on Friday, April 15, and the winner of that game will be the eighth seed in the playoffs for its conference.
That leaves the Heat waiting until April 15 to learn its first-round playoff opponent, which will be the team that escapes the play-in tourney as the East’s No. 8 seed.
As it stands on Thursday night, the seventh-place Cavaliers hold a one-game lead over the eighth-place Nets and ninth-place Hawks, and a two-game lead over the 10th-place Hornets.
The Heat will have six full days off for rest and preparation between Sunday’s regular-season finale and its first playoff game on April 17. The Heat’s first-round opponent will have just one day off between clinching the East’s eighth seed on April 15 and the start its playoff series in Miami.
This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 9:59 PM.
