Miami Heat sets its absolute priority in the final stretch of the season
Norman Powell and Tyler Herro admit that the goal is to leave the play-in and secure direct qualification to the playoffs
The final stretch of the NBA season is taking shape for the Miami Heat, and the message inside the locker room is clear. After Saturday's 136-120 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies, the team leaders made it clear that the main goal is to avoid the play-in tournament.
The game, which ended in a local triumph, was also marked by an altercation between Myron Gardner and Scottie Pippen Jr. at the end of the match. However, beyond the incident, the Heat's focus is on the standings.
With 24 games still to be played, Miami aims to avoid repeating the script of the last three seasons, where they finished in the eighth spot and had to fight for a playoff spot in the play-in. To prevent this scenario, they need to finish at least in the sixth position in the Eastern Conference.
Following Saturday's games — which included the defeat of Orlando Magic against Phoenix Suns in double overtime — Miami Heat climbed to the seventh spot with a record of 31-27.
Ahead are the Philadelphia 76ers, sixth with 30-26, in a battle that can change practically every night depending on the results.
Powell: “We want to get out of the play-in”
After scoring 25 points against Memphis, Norman Powell was direct in expressing the group's feeling. “We want to get out of the play-in. So, we are focused, we know what we have to do, obviously... No one is coming to help us. It all depends on us, on controlling what we can control as a team... giving our best and striving to the fullest to have the opportunity to get out of this.
Powell also acknowledged that, while they hope for some rivals to stumble, the priority is on their own performance. “Obviously, we want [the teams] to have a little dip while we get going and get these wins. But we are focused on how we should play and how we should compete every night”.
Herro, in the same vein
Meanwhile, Tyler Herro shares that mentality: the goal is not just to make it to the postseason, but to do so avoiding the added pressure of the play-in.
With little room for error and an extremely tight standings race, the Heat faces the crucial stretch of the season with a clear mandate: depend on themselves and secure a direct spot in the playoffs.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Miami Heat fija su prioridad absoluta en la recta final de temporada
