Hawks and Heat compete for Eastern Conference play-in spot

The Miami Heat will face off against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday in a key game for playoff positioning. Currently, the Hawks sit in seventh place with a 35-37 record, while the Heat are in tenth at 31-41. The Hawks are coming off a loss to the Houston Rockets, ending a three-game winning streak. Despite trailing by 25 points, they fought back but ultimately fell short. Atlanta's star player, Trae Young, continues to shine, averaging 24.1 points and leading the league in assists with 11.4 per game. On the other hand, the Heat recently broke a 10-game losing streak and have won their last two games. Bam Adebayo led Miami with 27 points in their last game, showcasing strong defensive skills against former player Jimmy Butler. Tyler Herro also continues to score effectively, contributing to Miami's late-season push.