The Miami Heat want the East's No. 3 seed. After pulling away from the Detroit Pistons behind 15 fourth-quarter points from Joe Johnson in a 99-93 win, they're one win away.
NBA scores 2016: Heat have the weapons to challenge anyone in the East
Joe Johnson’s 25 points pushed the Heat over the Pistons and put them in position to nab the No. 3 seed in the East. Plus: The Spurs set records at home and everything else from Tuesday in the NBA.
Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
There are some extremely confusing tiebreakers that would come into play if the Heat lose to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday in their final game of the season, but the situation is pretty simple if they win: They'll clinch the third spot.
One other thing is certain: It doesn’t really matter what seed the Heat end up with, they have the weapons to challenge anyone in the East.
Against the Pistons, Johnson led the way. He was unconscious in the fourth quarter, shooting 6-of-6 from the field in the frame. Before Johnson's fourth-quarter onslaught, Luol Deng kept the Heat in the game. That's what makes the Heat so dangerous heading into the postseason -- they have so many different players who can carry the load.
Sure, Dwyane Wade is leading the way averaging 19.1 points per game, Goran Dragic is running the show offensively and Hassan Whiteside is anchoring the defense, but the Heat have leaned on a slew of supporting cast members since Chris Bosh had to take leave because of blood clots. If it's not Johnson and Deng, it's rookies Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow.
Johnson wasn’t just hitting shots against Detroit, he was slicing apart its defense with passes, too.
Johnson hit a mid-range jumper on that exact same pick-and-roll the next play down the court. The Heat have found an identity on offense since Bosh’s exit after the All-Star break. In fact, they have the NBA’s fifth-rated offense since Bosh left, scoring 109.3 points per 100 possessions.
The Heat have discovered they have plenty of options. Since the All-Star break they have six players averaging more than 10 points per game. Of those six players -- Wade, Whiteside, Dragic, Deng, Johnson and Richardson -- Wade’s 45.2 percent shooting in that span is the worst of the bunch.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors have been the two best teams in the East this season, but the Heat have the ability to hang with anyone thanks to an array of players who have the ability to carry the team for stretches.
2 other things
The San Antonio Spurs are historic, too
It's not 73 wins, but the Spurs became the second team in NBA history to finish a season with 40 wins at home thanks to an ugly 102-98 overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, who rested Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Kawhi Leonard had 26 points, five assists and five rebounds to lead the Spurs. They would have finished undefeated at home if it weren't for the team that might end up being the best regular season team in NBA history.
Now, all we can do is wait. The Spurs will be challenged by the Thunder in the second round of the playoffs as long as there are no major upsets. If San Antonio can take care of business in the second round, it’ll get a chance at Golden State again. Just one problem, though: The Warriors will have home-court advantage, and they’re 38-2 at home.
The bottom of the East playoffs are set
Get your playoff previews ready, we know at least two first-round matchups. After the Pacers beat the Knicks and the Pistons lost to the Heat, the Pacers are locked into the No. 7 spot and will tip off against the Raptors. The Pistons will face the Cavaliers as the eight seed. It's not likely that either team will pull off an upset, but the Pistons have given the Cavaliers some trouble this season, beating Cleveland two out of three times including a 96-88 win in their last meeting. They have a tough point guard in Reggie Jackson who can cause trouble for Kyrie Irving defensively, and Andre Drummond matches up well down low against the Cavaliers' frontcourt. The Pistons will take on the Cavaliers to close out the regular season Wednesday.
Play of the night
"HOLD ME BACK, FAM." Nik Stauskas, or Sauce Castillo, put on a dunking clinic Tuesday.
3 fun things
Scores
Pacers 102, Knicks 90 (Indy Cornrows recap | Posting and Toasting recap)
Heat 99, Pistons 93 (Hot Hot Hoops recap | Detroit Bad Boys recap)
Raptors 122, 76ers 98 (Raptors HQ recap | Liberty Ballers recap)
Spurs 102, Thunder 98 OT (Pounding the Rock recap | Welcome to Loud City recap)
Clippers 110, Grizzlies 84 (Clips Nation recap | Grizzly Bear Blues recap)
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