Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat cruise to an easy victory in last game of the regular season

Thankfully, it’s almost over.

The Heat’s regular season finale was a tune-up against the Atlanta Hawks’ D-Team, in which Bam Adebayo had a scoring spree on drive-bys and jumpers. The rest of the team got their licks in, and they won an inconsequential game by 26 points despite sweating a bit in the second and third quarters because of Cory Kispert, of all people.  

The only weight it carried was an emotional one for the organization, being PA announcer Michael Baiamonte’s last game after 35 years. 

This was a season that saw them get pantsed by all the good teams and they ended the last six weeks posting the 24th ranked defense. On top of that, they get hosed, receiving a second-round pick for the “unprecedented” Terry Rozier situation, in which they traded a first-round pick for him in 2024, without the important information from the Charlotte Hornets that he was under federal and league probe.

Coach Erik Spoelstra said it was an unusual game, but was pleased with the team’s approach. Regarding the Play-In, he said, “It’s a Game 7. I just want our guys to take on that challenge and do whatever’s necessary.”

Now the Hornets in Charlotte await them for the nine and 10 Play-In game which sends the loser to the lottery. The winner of this matchup will advance to play the loser of the seven and eighth seeded game for the last playoff spot, and a chance to get mowed down by the Detroit Pistons.

The best thing that could happen, as has been explained in this Diary previously, is for Heat to lose on Wednesday so they can get the highest pick possible in the upcoming draft. They only have a 4.8 percent chance at landing in the top four and only one percent of getting the first pick. 

There is one small consolation: the Heat are not the most disappointing team in Florida because the Orlando Magic are also a Play-In Tournament squad. The Magic had sky-high expectations and their regular season was a disaster, concluding in Boston with a loss versus the background players. Injuries are not all the blame as they have been a team with poor basketball character and it might cost coach Jamahl Mosley his job.