Heat Finally Has Full Complement of Players as They Look To Make Another Deep Run As Play-In Team

Heat Expected To Be Fully Healthy For Play-In Tournament

Miami (42-39) sits in 10th place in the East as the Heat host the Atlanta Hawks tomorrow night to close out the regular season. With a win over the Charlotte Hornets (43-38) and a loss at New York, the Heat will overtake the Hornets for ninth place. Therefore, the Heat would host the Hornets rather than having to travel to Charlotte on either Tuesday or Wednesday.

Despite being handcuffed all season with Rozier’s suspension and key injuries, the Heat are in a position to extend their playoff streak to seven straight seasons. Rozier was still on the Heat’s 15-man roster despite being suspended. There hasn’t been a time when all 18 players (including two-way players) were available.

The Heat, who have been three of the top four scorers — Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, and Norman Powell — for a total of 87 games this year, will need to win two games to do so. However, they have lost 10 of their last 14 games and are just 21-31 against teams with a winning record this year.

The good news is that the Heat may be as healthy as they have been in a while next week. Five players sat out the Heat’s 140-117 blowout victory over the hapless Washington Wizards due to lingering injuries, but it was the second of a back-to-back for the team.

Herro, Davion Mitchell, and Wiggins will play against Atlanta. Simone Fonteccio (left ankle) is considered probable for tomorrow, while Powell (groin) is questionable. If Powell does sit out against the Hawks, it will be a cause for concern as it marks the sixth time in the last eight contests he has done so.

Heat Looking To Duplicate 2023 NBA Playoff Run

The most serious injuries involve Nikola Jovic and Dru Smith.  Jovic will miss his fourth straight game due to an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Smith will sit out his third consecutive contest with a right toe sprain. On the positive side of things, Jovic and Smith haven’t been part of Erik Spoelstra’s rotation for at least a month.

Herro, Wiggins, Powell, Adebayo, and Mitchell have played just eight games together this season. The Heat are 4-4 when the five players have started, though they have outscored their opponents by 5.2 points per 100 possessions when together.

The 2025-26 season is the fourth straight year that the Heat are Play-In participants. The Heat are 4-2 in Play-In games over the last three seasons, securing the eighth playoff spot each time. The Heat are just 1-8 in their last two playoff series, including being swept by Cleveland last season. But, they are also the only franchise in NBA history to reach the NBA Finals as a Play-In participant, doing so in 2023.