In the final game of the 2022-23 regular season, the Miami Heat were able to secure a 123-110 victory over the Orlando Magic. Though today was really about Udonis Haslem, who appeared in his 879th-and-final regular season contest.
Ahead of Haslem’s final game, he addressed the crowd and the fans in attendance.
Then, Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat mascot, Burnie, hilariously presented Haslem with a rocking chair as a parting gift.
Haslem checked into the game with 9:05 left in the first half, scoring 11 points over his first seven minutes, including the seventh 3-pointer of his career.
But wait, there’s more!
Haslem finished the opening quarter by scoring 13 of the team’s 23 points, as it trailed by one after the opening 12 minutes. Duncan Robinson’s triple gave Miami a 36-34 lead with 7:08 to go in the second quarter, prompting a Magic timeout.
Miami went 12 deep in the first half, capped by six consecutive points from Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo to give Miami a 52-50 advantage.
The Magic were ahead by five — 71-66 — with 5:08 left in the third before two Jamal Cain triples from the left corner re-gave Miami the one-point lead. With 2:34 left, Haslem sunk his second triple of the game, setting a new career-high.
Two consecutive triples from Duncan Robinson and Oladipo, who combined to sink eight triples Sunday, put Miami ahead eight with 8:16 left. Omer Yurtseven’s and-one put Miami ahead 110-98 with less than four minutes to go.
Haslem checked in for one final time with 3:49 left. The 42-year-old buried his third-and-final triple of the contest, giving him a team-high 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-7 from deep, hauling in three rebounds.
Every Heat player outside of Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jovic appeared in Sunday’s game, though Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Gabe Vincent, Kyle Lowry, Max Strus and Kevin Love only appeared in the first half.
Duncan Robinson tallied 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting, adding three triples. Victor Oladipo had 19 points and eight assists on 7-of-12 shooting; Jamal Cain posted 18 points on a near-perfect 6-of-7 shooting while Omer Yurtseven had 14 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes.
The Miami Heat finish the regular season 44-38, the 17th time in franchise history with at least 44 victories. The job still isn’t finished, as they will take on the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday with the chance to advance to the postseason for the fourth consecutive season.
