Heat rout Hawks 143-117, secure play-in momentum before playoffs

Miami closed the regular season by crushing Atlanta 143-117 at Kaseya Center, a result that sharpened the Heat’s play-in position and sent the Hawks into the postseason as the No. 5 seed in the East. The game carried major stakes for both clubs: Miami entered 42-39 and secured a fourth straight play-in appearance, while Atlanta finished 46-35 and headed into a first-round matchup with New York.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. delivered 26 points off the bench to fuel the Heat’s offense, while Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell each scored 25. Adebayo added 10 rebounds and set the tone early, scoring 12 of Miami’s first 16 points as the Heat built control from the opening minutes. Miami’s official recap said the team opened with a double-big lineup featuring Adebayo and Kel’el Ware, a look that helped the Heat establish an early edge and keep pressure on Atlanta throughout the night.

The Heat led 33-24 after the first quarter and kept adding to the margin as the Hawks struggled to answer Miami’s pace and shot-making. By the final horn, the Heat had turned a regular-season finale into a statement win, one that matched the urgency of the week ahead. The NBA’s SoFi Play-In Tournament was set to begin April 14, with the playoffs scheduled to start April 18, leaving little time for either team to linger on the result.

Miami now turns to Charlotte for a play-in game on Tuesday, with a chance to extend a season that has been uneven but still good enough to keep the Heat in the postseason picture. Atlanta, despite the loss, still moved on to open its East first-round series at New York. For Miami, the 143 points and the balance from Adebayo, Powell and Jaquez offered a clean finish at the exact moment the standings began to matter most.