Hawks Fall to Miami 123-114 in SoFi Play-In Tournament Despite Record-Breaking Season

The Atlanta Hawks’ 2024-25 campaign came to a close last night as they fell to the Miami Heat, 123-114 in overtime in the SoFi Play-In Tournament. Despite the early postseason exit, the Hawks showcased several of the qualities that defined their record-setting season — unselfish ball movement, aggressive defense, and gritty rebounding.

Atlanta dished out 30 assists in the loss, marking the 39th game this season they reached the 30-assist threshold — a new franchise record. The Hawks led the Eastern Conference and ranked second in the NBA behind the Denver Nuggets (45) in 30+ assist games. They closed the season averaging 29.6 assists per game, the highest in team history.

Defensively, the Hawks forced 15 Miami turnovers and turned those into 21 points. Atlanta also swiped 12 steals in the contest, continuing a season-long trend of defensive disruption. The Hawks logged 10+ steals in 48 regular season games — the second-most in franchise history — and led the East in both steals per game (9.73) and points off turnovers (19.1).

On the boards, Atlanta grabbed 11 offensive rebounds, generating 14 second-chance points. It was another reminder of the team’s consistent hustle, having recorded 10+ offensive rebounds in 58 games this season — third-most in the East and eighth-most league-wide.

Young, Okongwu Shine Bright

All-Star guard Trae Young finished with a team-high 29 points, a game-high 11 assists, five rebounds, one block and a steal in 44 minutes. The performance marked his 51st double-double of the season — a personal best — capping a stellar year where he led the league with 880 total assists and averaged a career-high 11.6 assists per game.

Onyeka Okongwu was dominant in the paint and beyond the arc, scoring 28 points on 12-of-19 shooting, including 4-of-8 from deep. He added a game-high 12 rebounds and tied for the game lead with three steals. Okongwu’s breakout year concluded with career highs across the board, including points (988), rebounds (660), assists (168), and three-pointers (48). His 28 double-doubles were also a career best.

Dyson Daniels added 11 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals. The two-time Defensive Player of the Month shattered Mookie Blaylock’s franchise record for most games with 3+ steals in a season (45) and set a new team record with a league-leading 229 total steals — a staggering 98 more than the next closest player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Miami Answers the Call

The Heat were led by Tyler Herro, who posted a game-high 30 points along with eight rebounds and seven assists. Bam Adebayo added 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting, while stuffing the stat sheet with 11 rebounds, five assists, five blocks, and two steals.

The loss closes out a season filled with both individual brilliance and team milestones for the Hawks. Though the journey ends in the Play-In, the foundation is set for future success in Atlanta.