Bam Adebayo produced 25 points and 10 rebounds, leading the host Miami Heat to a 143-117 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Miami (43-39) also got 26 points and five assists from Jaime Jaquez Jr. and 25 points from Norman Powell, who returned from a groin injury.
The Heat next will play at the Charlotte Hornets in the first game of the play-in round. The Heat, 5-10 over their past 15 games, are in the play-in round for the fourth straight year.
Atlanta (46-36), which had already clinched its first playoff berth since 2023, sat its entire starting lineup plus three reserves. The players who sat were Jalen Johnson (rest), Dyson Daniels (toe sprain), CJ McCollum (rest), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (toe sprain), Jonathan Kuminga (knee/injury management), Gabe Vincent (knee inflammation), Jock Landale (ankle sprain) and Onyeka Okongwu (finger sprain).
“The focus for us is to get into the postseason healthy,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said just prior to tip-off on Sunday.
Veteran Buddy Hield led the Hawks with a game-high 31 points, and Corey Kispert added 21 points.
For Miami, two players who competed on Friday in a win over Washington were out against Atlanta: Simone Fontecchio (sore left ankle) and Pelle Larsson (right-leg contusion). The Heat also were without Dru Smith (toe sprain); and Nikola Jovic (left ankle sprain).
However, Miami got three players back from the injured list: the aforementioned Powell along with Tyler Herro (right foot soreness); and Davion Mitchell (right shoulder contusion). Herro had five points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in 22 minutes. Mitchell had 12 points in 26 minutes.
Meanwhile, Adebayo scored 13 points in the first quarter as Miami led 33-24.
The teams played even in the second quarter as Miami went into halftime leading 70-61.
In the first half, Miami made 58.7% of its shots (27 of 46), had a 40-28 edge on paint points and a 14-4 advantage on fastbreak points. Adebayo led Miami with 17 first-half points.
The Hawks — who never led in this game — cut their deficit to six points midway through the third, but Miami pulled away to lead 99-84 by the end of the quarter.
Miami cruised in the fourth quarter, when it outscored Atlanta 44-33.
–Field Level Media
