Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell were heroes for Miami on Friday night, guiding the Heat to a 123-114 overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks and clinching the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. The Heat built a 17-point lead, but the Hawks stormed back to force overtime — though Herro and Mitchell’s clutch play ensured Miami punched their postseason ticket.
The duo delivered in the extra period, combining for all 15 of the Heat’s overtime points — Herro knocked down two triples, and Mitchell hit three, sending the Hawks home after they had entered the play-in as the No. 8 seed but fell short in both games.
Postgame, Tyler Herro praised Mitchell, who the Heat brought in at the trade deadline in a deal that sent forward P.J. Tucker, a future second-round pick and cash considerations to the Toronto Raptors.
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“He’s a dog, he’s a pitbull, whatever you want to call him,” Herro said. “(He) needs to be on someone’s (All-Defense team). First, second or third, however many teams they have.
“Davion has been a tremendous pickup since we got him. I’m so glad he’s with us. He’s a menace on that side of the ball, man.”
Herro finished as the game’s top scorer with 30 points, eight boards, seven assists and five made 3s, while Mitchell contributed 16 points and five dimes.
Also stepping up for the Heat were Andrew Wiggins, who tallied 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and Bam Adebayo, who posted 17 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and five blocks.
Tyler Herro also gave credit to the Hawks, who were led by Trae Young, who posted 29 points and 11 assists, and Onyeka Okongwu, who delivered 28 points and 12 rebounds.
“Man, two competitive teams fighting for the last spot in the playoffs,” Herro said. “That was exactly what you saw. Both teams were deserving. I loved how my team fought.
“Every single run that they made, we answered. And I feel like this entire season has really built us up for this point. So I’m really happy for my guys.”
Tyler Herro on Heat culture ahead of the playoffs
The Miami Heat etched their name in the history books, becoming the first team to climb from the No. 10 seed to the No. 8 playoff spot since the play-in format began — setting the stage for a first-round clash with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
For Tyler Herro, clinching that postseason berth was a major moment after a rollercoaster season that included the Jimmy Butler saga and late-season roster shakeups.
“I think this entire season leading up to this point is Heat culture,” he said. “It wasn’t the exact perfect season for us, but all the ups and downs, how we fought, continued to fight back, … says a lot about our team, our organization, and we got to continue to keep getting better.”
The Heat now shift their focus to the Eastern Conference’s top seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Game 1 and Game 2 set in Cleveland on Sunday and Wednesday, followed by Games 3 and 4 in Miami on April 26 and 28.
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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro
