Miami Heat Week 24 Review: Playoff Race, Raptors Series, Celtics Loss, Wizards Win

Eric: [00:00:00] Week 24 of the 20 25, 26 NB. A season is over, which means it's time to run it back. This is run it back NBA week and review heat edition. I'm Eric Labrador at thePeachBasket.net covering the Miami Heat. This is the show where we recapped the week that was in the NBA and then highlight the March key matchup for the week to come for the Miami Heat in a review of the week. It makes me think of Pat Riley's phrase that there's only winning and misery in emotional states, and that was the week from Miami in Indy. On Sunday, they needed the game and a key sequence in the game is where the heat missed five shots in a row. The pacer scored then four, five, missed another five shots. The pacer scored again. Then they missed another four shots. The heat went [00:01:00] five of 28 in the fourth quarter and let a very important and needed game go. But then the next night at the Kaseya Center playing a playoff tested and ready Philadelphia 76 ERs team that had Joelle and Bead, Paul George and Tyree Maxey all playing that he pulled away with a 14 oh run late in the game to win. For all intents and purposes, every Miami Heat fan perked up and thought, Hey, wait a minute, there could be something here. Then came Boston on Wednesday. Boston showed that they've, since the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, they've won all the battles that he'd won the war in the conference finals that time. But Boston has won all the battles. Outclassing, outplaying, Miami. Embarrassing Miami. They've won 10 straight in Miami. Jalen Brown had 43 [00:02:00] points. Jason Tatum had a triple double without even breaking a sweat. Then in Washington, the heat did take care of business, playing the wizards and beating them. Kelle Ware had a big game. Moving to the power ranking segment, the heat dropped. They've been languishing between 7 8 15 in the power rankings. You can read more about how we get to these rankings and see the entire list@thepeachbasket.net, the top five teams are gonna be in the final four of the NBA playoffs competing for the chance to win a title, and the Knicks are probably the plus one that could throw a monkey wrench into everything. But the next Celtics, pistons, spurs, and Thunder will be in the final fours of each conferences as they've been in the power rankings all season. And a standout SAT segment. Tyler Hiro led in points. Threes made and field goals attempted a very good week for Tyler Hiro. [00:03:00] Bam ADE bio led in total rebounds, pure efficiency and defensive rebounds, I not aware, not BAM at abi. Stepped up averaging 2.3 offensive rebounds per game. Davion Mitchell. A solid point guard, steady compass. Since the trade of Kyle Lowry last year, a 6.5 assists average per game this week. And the quintessential NBA professional, that's what I call him, Eric Reeb. The, he play byplay, a announcer, the Quiet Storm. Andrew Wiggins always finds a way to contribute with 1.8 blocks per game and 1.5 steals per game. So now on to the marquee matchup segment. The heat have no room for error, and they have to find a way to win these games. The toughest test is gonna be a two [00:04:00] game series in Toronto against the Raptors. The Raptors are up on the heat, two games to zero, winning both games here in Miami. Historically, the heat have not played well in Toronto. They have gotten, and I've seen it for myself in Scotiabank Arena. As a fan, the heat have gotten run out of the gym, so it is a tall task, but they're gonna get on the plane and go and show up and play. Emmanuel quickly isn't playing, and Brandon Erman. Scotty Barnes are playing through injuries, but again, the heat historically haven't played well in Toronto. Then the heat after that two game set, they go to Washington and finish the season series against the Wizards. Miami has to, again, as always, take care of business and beat the wizards. Every team is an NBA team. It's not an NBA team with an asterisk. It's not a semi-pro team. It's an NBA team. [00:05:00] So Miami can't afford to take any three or four steps back and lose to the wizard. And finally to close out week 25, which would be next week. They're home at the Kaseya Center against the Atlanta Hawks in our viral pressure segment. The heat are in the 10th seed, and as per ai, they face a matchup with the Orlando Magic in Orlando. If the season ended today, the heat are one and a half games out of the eighth spot versus Charlotte. And have a better opponent record in the last four games to catch them for the eighth seat. This is a place where Miami can get up off the canvas and find their way into the seven eight game. But AI also was able to find out that Charlotte, their most used lineup of Lamella Ball, Brandon Miller, miles, bridges Con, and most of the abate, has a 29.3 [00:06:00] net rating. They are the most efficient lineup in the NBA as per cleaning the glass.com. Now I know when I say that everybody's curious, what is the net rating for the heats most used lineup? That would be Davion Mitchell Tyler Hero, PE Larson, Andrew Wiggins, and them at abi. They are at a 4.2 net rate. The Orlando Magic, which are currently right now in the ninth seed. In the Eastern Conference, their most used lineup of Suggs, Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bain, Tristan DeSilva, Paulo Ro and Wendell Carter is at 9.4. I write about this on the Peach Basket website. The heat internally have problems. Nobody knows what it is. Personally, I think, and Dan Tard. Brought it up last season that [00:07:00] possibly with no evidence claiming anything here or there. Just supposition that Nick Aon, perhaps is clashing in his long-term view of the franchise with Pat Riley. Pat Riley is 80 years old. Nick Harrison is around 45. I write a couple of things. One also maybe, and purely this is from a fan's point of view following a copycat, the copycat theory for Eric's ftra to hand over the head coaching ranges to Chris Quinn and move into the front office, similar to what Brad Stevens did in Boston moving to the front office and then either. Joe Missoula or Ed Oppa being the head coach of the team, obviously something has gotta give the heat. It seemed to be [00:08:00] eternally cursed with being in the play in every year. When you don't have a player like Jimmy Butler, then those runs to the finals just fall flat. Similar to when Dwayne Wade, was lost to the Atlanta Hawks with the Miami Heat in the 2009 NBA playoff first round. And he said never again. Similar to Babi never again do I wanna lose in the first round the heater at that point. Now with the talent of Babi and the other guys that they have there that's it. Week 24 of the NBA's 20 25, 26 season is done. Join me next week for the end of the season and the playoffs when we run it back. Have a good day everybody.