MIAMI - As the game between the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies began late in the game, a scuffle broke out between Myron Gardner and Scottie Pippen Jr. The game Saturday ended with the home team leading by a score of 136–120. As the Heat look to achieve their individual goals with 24 games left in the season, Norman Powell and Tyler Herro revealed what's at the top of the team's list of things to win.
For the past three seasons, Miami has finished in familiar territory, closing in on the eighth seed, struggling to make the playoffs through the play-in tournament. To be out of the tournament race, a team would have to be at least the sixth seed, with the Heat making progress after Saturday's win and the Orlando Magic's double-overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns. Miami is now in seventh place at 31-27.
At the moment, the Philadelphia 76ers are in sixth place with 30-26, and the standings may change at time depending on the results of each game. Powell acknowledged after the win over the Grizzlies how "focused" the team is on playing to their strengths and avoiding the play-in tournament.
"We want to get out of the play-in. So we're locked in, we know what we need to do obviously... no one is going to help us," Powell said after scoring 25 points. “It's all on us to control what we can control as a team…to do our best to give us a chance to get out of it and move forward.”
“Obviously, we want [teams] Powell added, "There's been a little bit of a letdown as we've been getting into gear and getting wins. But we're focused on how we need to play and how we need to compete every night."
Norman Powell on Heat focusing on exit from play-in tournament: #HeatNation
"That's what we're focused on. We want to get out of the play-ins. We're locked in. We know what we need to do. We're not expecting anyone to come help us, it's all on us..." pic.twitter.com/9yF8jHEfd0
- Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 22 February 2026
What the Heat's Tyler Herro, Erik Spoelstra talk about all the time
While the Heat are trying to maximize their potential, especially now that the team is the healthiest it has been in some time, although they were without Davion Mitchell and Nikola Jovic on Saturday, it is important to get wins. Miami was also having trouble winning consecutive games to begin 2026, but now, with the offensive boost in Herro's return after missing a total of 45 games this season, the goal is to clinch at least the sixth seed.
Herro once again came off the bench, and although he scored a game-high 24 points against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, he was not as efficient against Memphis, scoring 14 points. Still, he's finding his footing after losing 15 straight games before Friday and admitted that besides him and Bam Adebayo, they want to get most of the play-in play out because they've experienced it the most, so head coach Erik Spoelstra wants the same.
"Yeah, our coaches talk about it every day," Herro said, talking about missing out on the tournament. "We as players, mainly me and Bam, who came here, we want to get out of the play-in. That's our goal, and that's our first goal. We've got a lot of goals."
Tyler Herro speaks after the game about how he's feeling after coming back from a rib injury, the team's depth, how the coaches approach being eliminated from the play-in tournament, and more: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/mFqiBqau9A
- Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 22 February 2026
If one thing is for sure, Miami seems to be on the rise offensively, scoring over 120 points in the last three games, even as the team has scored at least 70 points in the paint in the last two contests.
“I like what’s been happening offensively the last two games,” Spoelstra told ClutchPoints. "Playing a real collective game, sharing the ball, being aggressive, back-to-back 70-point games in the paint. Taking proper shots, guys are really playing the right way, and you can see it."
Erik Spoelstra was asked about the offense not missing a beat, although the defense giving up 120 runs is not something he wants to give up every game.
"I love what's been happening offensively the last two games, playing the real college game..."
Complete answer: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/VaQj1lxed9
- Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 22 February 2026
Norman Powell on what the Heat are starting to do
Despite a current three-game winning streak against inferior teams like the New Orleans Pelicans, Hawks, and now the Grizzlies, the team has had trouble handling weaker opponents in the past. At any rate, it's the first time in more than a month that Miami has won three games in a row, leading Powell to tell ClutchPoints how the Heat are "starting to buy into the collective effort."
"I think now, at this point in the season, all the clutter aside, nothing else matters but winning," Powell said. "I think that's the most important thing. And I think we're really starting to put in a collective effort and trust each other and work on the game. And I think that's the biggest part."
“I think obviously we're finally getting healthy, you know, we didn't have that [Mitchell] Like tonight, but I think this is the healthiest time we've had all year, and we just want to continue to build that chemistry and do all the little things to help us get out of these games and not have any slipups and continue to focus on our goal of getting out of the play-in. [tournament]Powell continued.
Norman Powell was asked about the Heat winning three consecutive games for the first time, and while he joked about it being a shot (laughs), he explained how the team is "starting to buy into the collective effort" and the goal of getting out of the play-in tournament: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/5WOEXWbFUw
- Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 22 February 2026
Miami is now 31-27, placing them in seventh place in the East as they begin a two-game road trip against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.
