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The Miami Heat have 26 regular season games left after beating the New Orleans Pelicans 106-95 on Friday. Miami’s recent form has seen them make headway in the Eastern Conference. They are 7-2 in February with two more games left before the month ends.
Following the win over the Pelicans, Jimmy Butler and crew now hold a 31-25 record for seventh in the East. They are one game behind the Indiana Pacers (33-25) for the coveted sixth spot and an outright playoff berth. If Miami can’t catch up with Indiana, it will have to make the playoffs via the play-in tournament like it did last season.
With roughly 25 games remaining, the No. 2 to No. 8 spots in the East could drastically change by the second week of April. Only the Boston Celtics (45-12), seem to have locked a seed in the conference. They are 7.5 games ahead of the second-placed Cleveland Cavaliers (37-19).
Miami can climb as high as third seed or even the second seed but to accomplish that, Cleveland and Milwaukee will have to collapse. It is possible but very unlikely. Chasing down the injury-riddled New York Knicks (34-23) and Philadelphia 76ers (33-24) is still doable.
The Knicks don’t have a definite timeline for Julius Randle and OG Anunoby’s returns, making them vulnerable to struggles. The 76ers are also missing reigning MVP Joel Embiid, which has already seen them drop in the standings. Miami can overtake them if it keeps its recent form.
Potential Miami Heat opponents in the first round of the 2024 Playoffs
#3 Milwaukee Bucks
For this scenario to happen, the Bucks have to stay in third place while the Heat overtake the Indiana Pacers for the sixth seed. This sets up a mouthwatering clash for the second straight year in the playoffs. Milwaukee will be raring to get a measure of revenge after it was eliminated as the No. 1 pick in 2023.
Another interesting subplot is the presence of Damian Lillard who everyone thought was going to South Beach. “Dame Time,” after angling for a trade to Miami, was sent by the Portland Trail Blazers to the Bucks.
A matchup between the Bucks and the Heat will easily be must-see TV.
Milwaukee will be the higher seed in this series but not many will be counting out the Heat.
#2 Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers hold off the Bucks and keep the second spot in the Eastern Conference. Miami fails to catch up with Indiana and punches a playoff ticket via the play-in tournament as the seventh seed. The Cavaliers will be an interesting opponent for the Heat to take on.
Cleveland is 19-5 since the start of 2024, the best record in the NBA during that span. Even when they didn’t have Evan Mobley and Darius Garland due to injuries, they were dispatching opponents in surprisingly dominant ways. They are, however, untested in the playoffs, something the Heat can take advantage of.
The Heat may have the lower seed in a matchup with the Cavaliers in the playoffs, but some will readily tag Butler’s team as the favorite.
#1 Boston Celtics
The Orlando Magic (32-26) is right on Miami’s tail for the seventh spot. If the Magic can overtake the Heat, they could emerge as the seventh seed and push Erik Spoelstra’s squad a spot lower. If that happens, another classic series with the Boston Celtics will be there for fans to enjoy.
Last year, the Celtics were the second seed but were toppled in an exciting seven-game series. Miami went ahead 3-0 before Boston came storming back to tie the series. Jayson Tatum injured his ankle in the first play of Game 7 and the Celtics never recovered.
The Heat and the Celtics have met in the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the last four years. A meeting in the first round in 2024 will not diminish the intensity and rivalry between the two perennial playoff opponents.
Boston has been dominant for most of the season but will face rough sailing against Miami. Still, the Cs could edge their biggest rivals and return to the NBA Finals.
