Josh Giddey’s halfcourt buzzer-beater over LeBron James marked the final of three lead changes inside the final 10 seconds as the Bulls stunned the Lakers 119-117.
The Heat weren’t even out of Kaseya Center following their third straight victory when Giddey delivered one of the regular season’s best moments in Chicago. Winning allowed the Bulls to remain ahead of Miami in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
For a Heat team unlikely to win the Southeast Division, the new goal is simple: Stay out of the play-in elimination opener by moving up to No. 8.
Cleveland is going to be the No. 1 seed and defending champion Boston will be No. 2, but the rest of the picture is murkier.
New York has the inside track on No. 3, but is still without All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson. The Bucks, Pacers and Pistons were separated by 2.5 games and are likely to be seeds 4-6.
The Southeast Division champ will end up being the No. 7 seed, hosting the No. 8 in a play-in that will deliver the winner a date with the defending champs. The loser will play the survivor from the 9-10 postseason opener.
A 10-game losing streak dropped Miami into the 10th spot, but it can claw its way out with a strong November. Here’s what the picture looks like entering the weekend’s action:
10. Miami Heat (32-41): Only five road games remain, beginning with Saturday’s visit to Philadelphia. The 76ers, Wizards, Celtics, Bulls and Pelicans are Miami’s road opponents, and only Boston sports a winning record. The Heat host the Grizzlies and Bucks after playing at the Celtics in a challenging stretch April 2-5, but should be favored in at least five of their nine remaining games.
9. Chicago Bulls (33-40): The Mavericks visit United Center on Saturday and are trying to hold off Phoenix for the No. 10 spot out West. Chicago’s other home games come against the Raptors, Trail Blazers, Heat and Wizards, while its roadies are in OKC, Charlotte, Cleveland and Philadelphia. The Bulls’ slate is very similar to Miami’s in that they should be favored more than they won’t be, so the April 9 home date could very well dictate whether they get to host the Heat for the play-in too.
8. Orlando Magic (35-39): A three-game win streak ended at the hands of Dallas on Thursday, so getting back on track at home against the Kings and Clippers before the month is up is essential but won’t be easy. April opens with visits to San Antonio and Washington, and then the Magic have four days in between action before the Hawks come through Kia Center for an enormous matchup. Boston comes through the next night, and visits to Indiana and Atlanta close things out for a team whose fortunes should be determined in those final few games.
7. Atlanta Hawks (35-38): On the heels of Thursday’s loss in South Florida, the Hawks conclude their three-game road trip in Milwaukee, which is vulnerable since it will be without All-Star guard Damian Lillard for the foreseeable future. They’ll have three back-to-backs in April, hosting Portland before visiting Dallas, welcoming the Knicks and Jazz into State Farm Arena on consecutive nights and playing at Brooklyn and Philly on April 10-11 in between the two Orlando games.
The Heat have to handle their own business to dig out of the No. 10 spot, but it would help their chances of climbing all the way up to No. 8 if the Hawks-Magic home-and-home results in a sweep.
If the victim of that broom treatment suffers through an ugly April and Miami closes strong, Erik Spoelstra’s team has a chance to avoid an elimination game right out of the gate in staying out of the 9-10 game. It’s a modest new goal, but given the reality of the situation, that’s the Heat’s new best-case scenario entering the postseason.
Tony Mejia is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at tnyce1414@gmail.com
