OKC Thunder: Ranking difficulty of seeding schedules for all 22 teams
2nd) Heat – Cumulative opponent win total: 329
Seeding Game Record: 3-5, are fifth seed and will play Pacers.
- Heat 125 – Nuggets 105 (August 1)
- Raptors 107 – Heat 103 (August 3)
- Heat -112 – Celtics 106 (August 4)
- Bucks – 130 – Heat 116 (August 6)
- Suns 119 – Heat 112 (August 8)
- Heat 114 – Pacers 92 (August 10)
- OKC Thunder 116 – Heat 115 (August 12)
- Pacers 109 – Heat 92 (August 14)
Miami gets a wicked back-to-back set facing the two teams directly in front of them. The Celtics get the benefit of that since they’re the second team in the set and the team Miami has the best shot of catching.
The other key matches are two against the Pacers who are the team directly behind them. With the loss of Sabonis, it’s more likely the 76ers move into the fifth seed which is also a good reason for the Heat to gun for third.
Mind you every hoop head should want the four-five Heat versus 76ers matchup just to witness Jimmy Buckets playing the team he left to join the Heat!
Thunder fans will hopefully face Heat team who’ve cemented their berth by game seven because Miami plays gritty ball. I still remember two seasons ago when in the very last game of the season Bam Adebayo hip-checked Fred VanVleet with less than two minutes remaining and literally knocked him to the ground separating his shoulder. That’s not what any Thunder fan wants to face two games before the playoffs begin.