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Heat bid to recapture 2023 postseason magic starts with need to replicate play-in win vs. Bulls

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
·4 min read

MIAMI — Because of a single moment in time a year ago, the Miami Heat appreciate the stakes and significance of this all-or-nothing moment:

April 14, 2023.

Kaseya Center.

Fourth quarter, 8:27 to play.

Chicago Bulls 82, Miami Heat 76.

In another winner-take-all moment in the NBA play-in round, the Heat stood on the precipice of postseason elimination. Then a season was salvaged with a dramatic comeback and 102-91 victory. Two months later, the Heat found themselves in the NBA Finals.

And now here the two teams stand again for another Friday night showdown on the Heat’s court, with the winning team moving on to a best-of-seven opening-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the Boston Celtics that starts Sunday at 1 p.m. at TD Garden, the losing team left to lament a place in the NBA draft lottery.

“We will do this the hard way,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, a way made even harder because of injuries to Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier and Duncan Robinson. “That has to be the path right now.”

Butler (knee) and Rozier (neck) are listed as out for Friday, with Robinson listed as probable.

For weeks, Spoelstra has stressed that each season has its own journey, that the Heat had to find new motivation.

Essentially, there now is no other choice, with Butler, Rozier and Robinson ailing.

The cast has changed dramatically for the Heat since last season’s Chicago showdown, with Max Strus (seven 3-pointers that night against the Bulls), Gabe Vincent, Kyle Lowry, Victor Oladipo, Udonis Haslem, Omer Yurtseven and Cody Zeller having moved on. The Bulls, by contrast, largely remain intact, with Patrick Beverley having departed and Zach LaVine sidelined.

The other dramatic difference is the momentum of the moment.

The Bulls are coming off Wednesday night’s rousing 131-116 home playoff victory over the Atlanta Hawks, when guard Coby White went for a career-high 42 points.

The Heat are coming off a Wednesday night 105-104 road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, when a 14-point lead was squandered.

“Honestly,” guard Tyler Herro said, “we’re in the same position as last year, and nobody expected us to do what we did last year.”

The difference is the Heat were whole in last season’s showdown. Now, it’s as if they are limping to a possible finish line.

“Luckily,” center Bam Adebayo said, “we do have another game.”

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A newcomer to the process, rookie guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. said even at an unforgiving moment such as this, there remains the forgiveness of the play-in round, with an eighth-place team such as the Heat afforded two chances to get the one victory needed to advance.

“This is the blessing of the play-in tournament, being in the seven-eight, is that you get one more game to fall back on,” he said. “So take advantage of this.”

Because there is no alternative.

“It’ll be competitive in front of our home fans,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And then we’re going to bring a hell of a game on Friday night lights and do this the hard way. That’s just the way it is right now.”

Herro ball

While the overall 9-of-27 shooting against the 76ers was a struggle, Herro did step up with 16 fourth-quarter points, including 3 of 6 on 3-pointers, indicating that he could be ready for what now likely will be required.

“There’s moments through games, throughout seasons, you have games like bad shooting nights,” he said. “I tried to just stay engaged as best as I could. Obviously, I would have loved to make those shots. But you can’t make all of ’em.

“And like I said, I tried to stay engaged on the defensive end and make plays for my teammates when I could.”

He finished with a game-high nine assists, but also five turnovers, saying he did not necessarily seek out additional shots with so many of the Heat scorers ailing.

“Not really,” he said. “I try to, honestly, just play the right way, whatever shots are there. I took a lot of the same shots I took all season. They just didn’t fall.”