Heat Conclude Season Beating Hawks, Face Hornets in Tuesday’s Play-In Game

The Miami Heat closed the regular season with a 143-117 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at Kaseya Center on Sunday, April 12, 2026. The win was decisive, but it did not change Miami’s place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Although the Heat conclude the season beating the Hawks, they still must face the Hornets in Tuesday’s play-in game. A Hornets win earlier Sunday against the New York Knicks left Miami in 10th place.

Game highlights and key performances

Miami led from the opening tip and never trailed. The team built a lead as large as 26 points.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. paced the Heat with 26 points. He shot 12-of-17 from the floor and added five assists in 26 minutes off the bench.

Bam Adebayo finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds. He also recorded three assists, three steals and two blocks.

Norman Powell contributed 25 points in 23 minutes. Powell went 8-of-17 from the field and was perfect at the foul line.

The Heat’s 143 points marked the 12th time this season the team scored 140 or more. That set a franchise single-season record for 140-point games.

Play-in path and broadcast details

The Heat ended the regular season 43-39 and finished 10th in the East. As the No. 10 seed, Miami must win two straight road play-in games to reach the postseason.

Miami opens the play-in tournament at Charlotte on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The opponent is the ninth-place Hornets. All play-in games will stream exclusively on Prime.

If Miami wins in Charlotte, it would travel to play the loser of the East’s No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchup. That game is Philadelphia vs. Orlando on Wednesday.

The winner of the Heat’s potential Friday elimination game would claim the East’s No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the first round. Game 1 would be scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sunday in Detroit and air on NBC and Peacock.

Coach and player perspectives

Coach Erik Spoelstra emphasized focus and urgency heading into the play-in. He called Tuesday’s matchup a win-or-go-home contest.

Captain Bam Adebayo noted Miami’s play-in experience. He referenced the team’s familiarity with the pressure of those games.

Jaquez spoke about his desire to keep the season alive. He said he values the locker room and wants more time with this group.

Health, lineups and rotation notes

Four Heat players were unavailable on Sunday due to injury. Simone Fontecchio had left ankle soreness, Nikola Jovic a left ankle sprain, Pelle Larsson a right lower leg contusion, and Dru Smith a right big toe sprain.

Spoelstra described Larsson as day-to-day after a contusion suffered on Friday. Larsson had appeared in 70 games this season when available.

The Heat used their 27th different starting lineup in the finale. Davion Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware started together.

The Adebayo-Ware pairing had shown promise. In 492 minutes together this season, they outscored opponents by 7.9 points per 100 possessions.

Season context and closing statistics

Miami finished with a 26-15 home record and 17-24 mark on the road. The team went 22-31 against opponents that finished .500 or better.

The Heat improved by six wins from last season’s 37-45 finish. However, Miami still placed 10th in the East for a second straight year.

Injury issues and lineup turnover contributed to the instability. The franchise used 27 different starting combinations during the regular season.

This report was prepared for Filmogaz.com based on the regular-season finale and subsequent playoff implications. The Heat now prepare to travel to Charlotte for Tuesday’s play-in elimination game.