Miami became the first 10th seed to reach the NBA playoffs after beating Atlanta 123-114 in overtime.
Tyler Herro scored 30 points and Davion Mitchell hit three three-pointers in the extra period to finish a historic play-in run.
Miami builds an early lead
The Heat scored the first 10 points and led by 17 during the second quarter.
Herro made five three-pointers, while Haywood Highsmith added 12 points and 10 rebounds. Miami arrived after winning its first play-in game 109-90 in Chicago.
No previous 10th seed had won two road games to advance under the tournament’s current format.
Young forces overtime
Atlanta recovered in the second half behind Trae Young and Onyeka Okongwu.
Young’s late layup tied the game at 106 with 1.3 seconds remaining. He finished with 29 points and 11 assists, while Okongwu had 28 points and 12 rebounds.
The Hawks scored only eight points in overtime after working so hard to extend the game.
Mitchell takes over in extra time
Mitchell had one point at half-time and seven at the end of regulation. He then made three of four shots in overtime, all from beyond the arc.
Erik Spoelstra praised the guard for responding after forcing the game earlier in the night.
Miami advanced to face top-seeded Cleveland in the first round. The Heat had taken the hardest route into the bracket, but two road wins gave them belief before an even tougher assignment.
