History was made in Atlanta on Friday.
The Heat needed overtime, but they punched their ticket to the NBA Playoffs with a 123-114 win over the Hawks in the final game of the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament. With the win, Miami becomes the first-ever No. 10 seed to win two Play-In Tournament games to move to the playoffs.
On their path to do what has never been done, the Heat called upon a familiar Herro and an unlikely hero down the stretch. While All-Star Tyler Herro was the game’s leading scorer, it was fourth-year guard Davion Mitchell who made some of the game’s biggest plays.
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Here’s more on Mitchell’s performance, Miami’s historic win, and what lies ahead for the Heat.
Davion Mitchell stats today
Mitchell was relatively quiet early on but his performance was loudest when it mattered most. He netted nine of Miami’s 17 points in the overtime period, outscoring Atlanta (eight points) by himself.
Here’s how Mitchell finished the night:
- 16 points
- 3 rebounds
- 5 assists
- 5-13 (38.5%) FGs
- 4-9 (44.4%) 3FGs
- 2-4 (50.0%) FTs
More than just the numbers themselves, Mitchell stepped up in massive spots for Miami.
His defensive intensity got under the skin of Atlanta’s Trae Young, and on offense, Mitchell hit some of the biggest shots in the game, including the dagger that put the Heat up by nine points late.
Oh, and he set himself up for the 3 by crashing the offensive glass to get a crucial board.
First the offensive board… then the CLUTCH triple to seal it 🥶
Mitchell lifts the @MiamiHEAT into the #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google! https://t.co/q4whJ36VFr pic.twitter.com/VA4DeRWiwl
— NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2025
During his postgame interview, Herro summed Mitchell up perfectly: “He’s a dog, he’s a pitbull.”
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Heat make Play-In Tournament history
This is the sixth season of the NBA Play-In Tournament and the fifth year that follows the current format. After eight No. 10 seeds tried and failed, the Heat became the first No. 10 seed to advance to the NBA Playoffs.
In this format, the odds are stacked against the No. 10 seed, which must win two consecutive road games to advance to the playoffs. Miami defeated No. 9 Chicago on Wednesday before Friday’s thrilling win over Atlanta.
| Year | Team | Finish (Record) |
| 2021 | Hornets | Eliminated (0-1) |
| 2021 | Spurs | Eliminated (0-1) |
| 2022 | Hornets | Eliminated (0-1) |
| 2022 | Spurs | Eliminated (0-1) |
| 2023 | Bulls | Eliminated (1-1) |
| 2023 | Thunder | Eliminated (1-1) |
| 2024 | Hawks | Eliminated (0-1) |
| 2024 | Warriors | Eliminated (0-1) |
| 2025 | Heat | NBA Playoffs (2-0) |
| 2025 | Mavericks | TBD |
Who do the Heat play next?
Miami is the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference bracket and will play the No. 1 seed Cavaliers in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs.
