MIAMI — For the second straight year, the Miami Heat are fighting for their postseason lives in a play-in tournament game.
The Philadelphia 76ers (47-35) will host the Heat (46-36) at 7 p.m. Wednesday in a game to decide the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Here's what to know ahead of the NBA play-in tournament, which begins Tuesday.
What is a play-in game?
The NBA approved the adoption of the play-in tournament on a full-time basis in July 2022.
The play-in tournament takes place between the last day of the regular season and the start of the NBA playoffs.
It follows the same format put in place for the 2020-21 season as part of the NBA's plan for its return to play in the Disney bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The format was extended for the 2021-22 season before being made permanent last season.
How does it work?
Four teams from each conference will compete in the play-in tournament.
The teams with the seventh- and eighth-highest winning percentages in each conference have two chances to earn a playoff spot, while the teams with the ninth- and 10th-highest winning percentages in each conference must win two games to make the playoffs.
Philadelphia finished seventh in the regular-season standings, while Miami finished just behind the 76ers. Therefore, the Heat must face the 76ers in Philadelphia.
The Chicago Bulls (39-43) and Atlanta Hawks (36-46) finished ninth and 10th.
In the Western Conference, the New Orleans Pelicans (49-33) finished in seventh place and the Los Angeles Lakers (47-35) finished eighth. The Sacramento Kings (46-36) finished ninth and the Golden State Warriors (46-36) finished 10th.
What is the play-in tournament schedule?
Here is the play-in tournament schedule, based on the regular-season standings:
Eastern Conference
Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers | Wednesday at 7 p.m. | ESPN
Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls | Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. | ESPN
Western Conference
Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Pelicans | Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. | TNT
Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings | Tuesday at 10 p.m. | TNT
If Miami wins, the Heat are going back to the playoffs.
A Miami loss would mean an all-or-nothing game Friday night against the winner of the Bulls-Hawks play-in game.
What are Miami's playoff scenarios?
If Miami wins, the team will clinch the seventh seed in the playoffs. That would mean the Heat would face the second-seed New York Knicks (50-32) in a first-round playoff series.
Should Miami be forced to play again Friday night and win, the Heat would be relegated to the eighth and final seed. That would set up a date against the Boston Celtics (64-18) in the first round of the playoffs. The Celtics own the NBA's best overall record.
If Miami can't win either game, the Heat will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
