Today’s the day!
We’re hours away from tip-off from Game 1 between the top-seeded Miami Heat and the No. 8-seeded Atlanta Hawks, who downed the Charlotte Hornets by 29 and the Cleveland Cavaliers by six in the play-in tournament to become the 8-seed within the last week.
Miami concluded the regular winning six of their last seven regular season games, with the one loss coming to intrastate foe, the Orlando Magic, in an all-but-meaningless finale where most of Miami’s starters sat. Atlanta ended the season on a positive note, too, winning in seven of their last nine regular season contests and 12 of their last 17.