Dave Hyde: Can Heat salvage strangest of years with good moment (or two?)

Dave Hyde, South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Apr 15, 2025

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MIAMI — Erik Spoelstra stood in the same spot off the baseline of the Miami Heat practice court that he’s stood through all the years, good and bad, and as he talked about Wednesday’s play-in game, he wasn’t sending any message to his players.

Spoelstra doesn’t need the media to be an assistant coach. So, the message he sent about the 10th-seed Heat playing at ninth-seeded Chicago was simply an NBA lifer relating what matters in his world. And what doesn’t.

“Certainly, on the outside, you can think, ‘Oh, this is (the ninth seed) playing 10 — what does that mean?’ ’’ the Heat coach said. “Well, it means a lot. We have an opportunity to win a game, get us closer to another game, to ideally get another win to get in this party.”

Surviving Wednesday to get to a second play-in game is about more than just making the playoffs, really, for this franchise. It would mean a sabotaged season won’t have been ruined completely by Jimmy Butler.

It would mean Spoelstra didn’t keep a bad season afloat, as he’s done. It also would mean Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Andrew Wiggins came through in an expanded moment, when that moment is all you have.

“Everything matters,’’ as Herro said. “Every possession matters. Every shot matters. Everything matters from the moment you wake up (Wednesday).”

There’s some karmic justice to looking at the Western Conference and seeing Butler’s Golden State Warriors in a play-in game Tuesday night as a seventh seed. A couple months ago, one of Butler’s parting shots to the Heat was how the trade meant: “I won’t be in a play-in game.”

A Heat win in Chicago, even a second play-in win to reach the playoffs, wouldn’t change the big picture for the Heat. They need more scoring. They need a prime star to build around.

But this isn’t about June and July and where this franchise goes. It’s about this moment that defines this season. They can win these next two games, make the playoffs, take a couple games off top seed Cleveland and change the view of this season.

Or they can fall Wednesday and confirm

“It’s March Madness,’’ Adebayo said. “Win or go home.”

The Heat shouldn’t bend to the emotions. It’s not just they’ve beaten this same Chicago team in this exact play-in game the past two seasons. It’s how Herro and Adebayo, among others with the Heat, and Wiggins with Golden State have played in NBA Final series.

The question is if they’re the physically challenged and mentally exhausted team that after the Butler ordeal lost 10 consecutive games, often in heartbreaking fashion. Or are they the team that then won six in a row and has shown signs of decent life?

The Heat lost in Chicago last week. They’ve lost to Chicago three times since February by 8, 5 and 9 points. So there’s little question about who the favorite is here. There are few secrets about how these teams play.

“We know what their goal is,’’ Spoelstra said. “We know what their game is. We ultimately have to get to our (game).”

The last remaining question of a season no one around the Heat wanted comes in a game they never expected to play: Can they salvage some of this season with a good moment?

“There’s ultimate clarity here,’’ Adebayo said. “You’re not looking at the standings anymore. You’re not trying to see if they lose, and we win … you’ve got to win two in a row now.”

It starts Wednesday in Chicago. Maybe that leads to a Friday game at Orlando or Atlanta. This isn’t about Butler ruining their season or where this franchise goes this season.

It’s about the ninth and 10th teams in the East meeting for a night where nothing of importance looks at stake except to those involved. Ask the Heat coach. It matters plenty to him, just as it should.