Thu Apr 17 06:59:31 UTC 2025: ## Heat and Mavericks Secure Playoff Spots in Dominant Play-In Wins
**Miami, FL & Sacramento, CA –** The Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks kept their NBA playoff hopes alive with commanding victories in Wednesday night’s play-in tournament games. Tyler Herro led the Heat with a stunning 38-point performance, powering Miami to a 109-90 rout over the Chicago Bulls and securing a spot in Friday’s winner-take-all matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.
Herro’s offensive explosion, fueled by a perfect start (16 points in the first quarter), was instrumental in Miami’s wire-to-wire victory. Andrew Wiggins added 20 points, while Bam Adebayo and Davion Mitchell chipped in 15 apiece. Josh Giddey led the Bulls with 25 points in a losing effort. This marks the third consecutive season the Bulls have been eliminated from the play-in tournament by the Heat. The winner of Friday’s game will face the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks ended the Sacramento Kings’ season with a decisive 120-106 win. Anthony Davis (27 points, 9 rebounds) and Klay Thompson (23 points) combined for 50 points, propelling Dallas to a comfortable victory. The Mavericks, who finished 10th in the West, dominated the second quarter, outscoring Sacramento 44-19 to build an insurmountable lead. Dallas will now face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday for a chance to advance to the Western Conference playoffs and play the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
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