The Miami Heat just made NBA history, becoming the first No. 10 seed to reach the playoffs since the play-in tournament began in 2020-21. They pulled off a stunning 123-114 overtime victory against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
This wasn’t just any win. The Heat are now the first team ever to advance through the play-in tournament by winning two road games.
They’ve been on a roll lately, winning eight of their last 12 regular season games just to qualify for the play-in.
“I know how badly our group wanted to get into this thing,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. “I could see it in their eyes and feel it in their heart.”
The win extends Miami’s playoff streak to six straight seasons, matching the longest run in franchise history.
Tyler Herro was on fire, dropping 30 points including two crucial three-pointers in overtime. This makes him only the second player (alongside Steph Curry) to have multiple 30-point games in a single play-in tournament.
But the real surprise came from Davion Mitchell.
After struggling mightily in the first half—missing all four of his shots and scoring just seven points in regulation—Mitchell exploded in overtime with three three-pointers. That matched his career high for any quarter.
“For him to struggle like that in the first half and have that kind of fourth quarter and overtime really speaks to his character,” Spoelstra said of Mitchell.
Mitchell admitted he was trying too hard early on.
“I feel I was forcing it in the first half, trying to do too much,” he said. “I just kind of reset in my mind… and let the game come to me. And I just believe in the work I’ve put in. Even if I’m missing shots, it’s OK.”
Together, Herro and Mitchell scored or assisted on 31 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.
The win in Atlanta continues Miami’s recent road success against the Hawks, improving to 14-6 in their last 20 visits.
Haywood Highsmith, who contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds, summed up the team’s confidence: “We did it the hard way. We’re battle-tested. We can go anywhere and beat anybody.”
The Heat’s reward for this historic run? A first-round matchup against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers (64-18), starting Sunday night.
For a team that finished the regular season just 37-45, they’re heading into the playoffs with momentum that could make them dangerous underdogs.
