Dyson Daniels’ Impressive Season Concludes in Overtime Nail-biter Against the Miami Heat

Dyson Daniels’ remarkable season with the Atlanta Hawks has concluded following a poignant overtime loss to the Miami Heat on Saturday night.

The Australian guard has surfaced as a dark horse for the Defensive Player of the Year accolade this season, showcasing an impressive performance throughout the campaign with the Hawks.

However, his aspirations for an NBA championship title in his third professional season were dashed during a gripping overtime clash at State Farm Arena.

Following their historic achievement in the NBA Play-In Tournament by securing two away victories, the Miami Heat are poised to take on the top-seeded Cleveland in the playoffs without hesitation.

Tyler Herro excelled with 30 points, including two three-pointers in the overtime period, as the Heat recovered from an early deficit to achieve a 123-114 victory over the Hawks.

Davion Mitchell contributed seven points in regulation, then added a trio of three-pointers in the extra period for Miami.

The Heat made history by becoming the first No. 10 seed in any conference to reach the playoffs since the introduction of the current play-in format in the 2020-21 season.

“We did it the hard way. We are battle-hardened,” declared Miami’s Haywood Highsmith, who recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds.

“We’re capable of going anywhere and winning against anyone.”

When questioned about the daunting task of facing Cleveland, Spoelstra expressed his gratitude, stating, “I’m truly thankful we’re in the playoffs. We are the first team to get here, and why not take on the challenge after winning two away games?”

Highsmith added, “We battled hard to reach the playoffs, and now that we’re here, we won’t back down.”

Trae Young’s basket with just 1.3 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 106, leading to overtime.

Young finished with 29 points and 11 assists, while Onyeka Okongwu contributed 28 points and 12 rebounds.

“For me, not making the playoffs would be considered a failure,” said Young.

The Heat jumped ahead strongly, scoring the first 10 points of the game and extending their lead to 17 points at 45-28 in the second quarter.

Atlanta managed to tie the game for the first time at 88 with a layup from Terance Mann, and Young’s three-pointer gave them their first lead at 91-88 with 7:36 left.

With the Hawks up 93-92, Okongwu made a three-pointer, and following a steal from Dyson Daniels, Okongwu’s dunk increased their lead to 98-92.

Heat forward Nikola Jovic was available to play after missing time due to a broken right hand, although he did not enter the game. Guard Pelle Larsson also returned from an ankle injury for the first time since April 7.

After struggling with a season low of four three-pointers made and 21 attempted against Orlando in their opening play-in game, coach Quin Snyder emphasised the team’s need to take more contested shots from beyond the arc.

The Hawks responded by attempting 21 three-pointers in the first half against Miami, successfully converting five. In total, Atlanta made 16 of their 47 attempts from beyond the arc.

The Miami Heat will face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday (AEST) in the first game of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

“I can see how much this team wanted to make the playoffs,” remarked Miami coach Erik Spoelstra.

“It’s evident in their eyes and their hearts.”