Hawks Surge Late to Defeat Heat, 120-110

The Miami Heat’s rollercoaster season hit another bump Saturday afternoon as they fell to the Atlanta Hawks 120-110 at State Farm Arena. Just days after Tyler Herro’s game-winner against Orlando seemed to build momentum, the Heat’s inconsistency reared its head again, dropping Miami to 15-14 on the season.
The Heat kept it competitive in the first half, trading leads nine times and seeing the score tied on six occasions. Atlanta entered halftime with a narrow three-point lead, setting the stage for a back-and-forth battle. Despite Miami narrowing the gap to just one point with 3:28 remaining, the Hawks responded with a decisive 9-0 run, pulling away to seal the victory.
Miami’s late-game woes were highlighted by five consecutive missed field-goal attempts during the Hawks’ run, squandering an opportunity for a comeback. “We don’t want to play from behind,” said Bam Adebayo, who finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. “That’s playing with
Tyler Herro delivered another standout performance with 28 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds on 53% shooting, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. Despite his near triple-double effort, Herro lacked consistent offensive support. Duncan Robinson chipped in 16 points and five assists, but the Heat’s overall shooting struggles—32% from deep on 13-of-41 shooting—proved costly.
Atlanta capitalized on its depth and pace, with Jalen Johnson and De’Andre Hunter combining for 54 points. Johnson posted a stellar line of 28 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists, while Hunter added 26 points off the bench. Even with Trae Young having an off shooting night (11 points on 3-of-15 shooting), his playmaking with 15 assists kept the Hawks’ offense humming.
The Hawks shot 51.2% from the field and 40.5% from three, compared to Miami’s 44.4% and 32%, respectively. Atlanta also leveraged a 59-27 advantage in bench scoring, with Miami’s reserves struggling to make an impact.
The Heat’s defense faltered against the Hawks’ uptempo style, which head coach Erik Spoelstra pointed to as a significant factor. “It felt like it was the pace,” Spoelstra said. “Those relief points made the difference.” Atlanta tallied 56 points in the paint and consistently punished Miami for defensive lapses.
Playing without Jimmy Butler for the fourth straight game, the Heat dropped to 4-5 in his absence this season. Butler, dealing with a stomach illness, is expected to return during Miami’s upcoming homestand. The Heat also missed Josh Richardson (heel inflammation) and Dru Smith (Achilles surgery), further depleting their rotation.
The Heat won’t have much time to dwell on the loss as they face the Houston Rockets on Sunday in the second game of a back-to-back. With Butler still sidelined, the team will need to regroup quickly to avoid falling further in the standings.
As Miami continues to hover around .500, questions linger about their ability to establish consistency and maintain playoff aspirations in a competitive Eastern Conference.

Check out LifeWalletSports.com to get connected with all of our NIL athletes and partnered brands