Less than 2 weeks ago, Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat were the talk of the NBA. An 83 point performance that put Adebayo in the record books also happened to coincide with a 7 game win streak that’s kept them right in the thick of things out East as the season winds down. Since Adebayo’s historic night though they’ve gone a paltry 1-4, including two losses to two teams that they’re fighting for positioning with in the standings. Currently the 9th seed with 11 games left in the regular season, the Heat have just 1 less win than the current 5th seed Toronto Raptors.
Meanwhile for the Spurs, the possibility of 60 wins remains alive and well. Currently holding a 7 game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2nd seed and still just 3 games back of the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio might just be locked into that 2nd spot. Even with six of their next seven on the road, there’s a good chance they could wrap that race up very soon. Once that happens, the focus can be entirely on health and fine-tuning for the franchise’s first postseason run in a very long time.
San Antonio Spurs (53-18) vs Miami Heat (38-33)
March 23 2026 | 6:00 PM CT
Watch: Peacock, FDSS | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Stephon Castle, hip (day to day), Devin Vassell, hamstring (day to day), David Jones-Garcia, OUT
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Heat Injuries: Andrew Wiggins, toe (day to day), Jaime Jaquez Jr, hip (day to day), Norman Powell, calf (day to day)
What to watch for
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While he’s obviously not averaging 83 points a night, Bam Adebayo has nonetheless had a phenomenal season. He’s hit at least the 20 point mark in his last 11 games and is second on the Heat in scoring this season, behind only Tyler Herro. He’s coming off a 32 point, 21 rebound game in a loss to the Houston Rockets, a game in which he played 45 minutes. Adebayo is the bedrock of an elite Miami defense, shutting off driving lanes with his quickness and providing solid rim protection. With Victor Wembanyama playing some of the best basketball of his career, the potential for a classic confrontation is there.
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No one plays faster than Miami, averaging nearly 104 possessions per game this year. They like to push the ball in transition while leaning on a defense that’s just outside the top 5 (6th in defensive rating) to stifle opposing offenses and force them into turnovers to fuel their offensive attack. San Antonio, who are no slouches themselves when it comes to pushing the tempo and playing elite defense, protect the basketball as well as any team in the Association, but there’s always a chance for things to get ugly on the road. Keeping turnovers down and cleaning the defensive glass will be key in limiting the Miami offense.
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Dylan Harper took full advantage of his first career start, tying a career-high 24 points in Saturday’s win against the Pacers on a super-efficient 9/13 from the field. With Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell potentially out once again for this one, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Mitch Johnson give the impressive rookie the starting nod once again tonight. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has more than a few great options to throw at San Antonio’s wings, but Harper and the rest of his teammates should be up to the task The 20 year old Harper has scored in double figures nine times since the All Star break.
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