The Miami Heat finished the 2022-23 regular season with a 44-38 record and had the seventh-best record in the Eastern Conference. With the way the NBA playoffs are set up these days, the Heat needed to make their way through the play-in tournament before securing their spot – which they narrowly did.
Their first shot at a spot in the NBA playoffs came against the Atlanta Hawks – a win would’ve made Miami a No. 7 seed, but they lost the game 116-105. They weren’t done, though. The Heat still had one more shot at a playoff spot against the Chicago Bulls, beating them 102-91 and earning that No. 8 seed.
As the No. 8 seed, the Miami Heat were matched up against the Milwaukee Bucks – the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. While no one was counting Miami out, they certainly weren’t favored to win the series and knew they had an uphill battle if they wanted to advance to the next round – which they did.
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Which No. 8 Seeds Have Beat a No. 1 Seed in the NBA Playoffs?
It only took the Miami Heat five games to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks and advance to the second round. They ended up splitting the first two games on the road before winning the next two games in Miami. With a 3-1 series lead, the Heat handled business in Game 5 and ended the series on the Bucks’ home court.
With the series win, the Miami Heat became just the sixth No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the history of the NBA playoffs and the first team to do so in 11 years. It’s something we don’t get to see often, which makes it that much more incredible when it happens – I mean, who doesn’t love a good Cinderella story?
The Miami Heat have an opportunity to become just the second No. 8 seed to advance past the second round. All they need to do is defeat the No. 5 seed New York Knicks, who coincidentally is the last team to do so – the Knicks are also the only No. 8 seed to ever advance to the NBA Finals, doing so in 1999.
Let’s take a closer look at the six No. 8 seeds who have beaten a No. 1 seed in the NBA playoffs:
6. Miami Heat Defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 4-1 in 2023
The Miami Heat finished the 2022-23 season as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 44-38 record, but entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed after narrowly making it out of the play-in tournament. They were matched up against the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks (58-24) in the first round of the playoffs.
The Heat beat the Bucks 130-117 in Game 1 and were led by Jimmy Butler, who finished with 35 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists, and 3 steals in the win. Caleb Martin and Kevin Love combined for 33 points off the bench, while Bam Adebayo had a near-triple-double with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists.
After a 122-138 loss in Game 2, the Heat bounced back with a 121-99 win in Game 3. They were, once again, led by Jimmy Butler with 30 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Duncan Robinson, Kyle Lowry, and Caleb Martin combined for 47 points off the bench, while Bam Adebayo had a double-double.
The Heat took a 3-1 series lead after a tight 119-114 victory in Game 4. Jimmy Butler had a masterful performance with 56 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block in 41 minutes of play. He nearly outscored the rest of his team, who finished with 63 points, and put the team on his back – as he always does.
Miami closed the series out in Game 5, securing a tight 128-126 road win. The game was tied 118-118 at the end of regulation, but the Heat outscored the Bucks 10-8 in the overtime period. Jimmy Butler finished the game with 42 points, Gabe Vincent added 22 points, and Bam Adebayo chipped in with 20 points.
Jimmy Butler was electric all series long. He played in all five games and averaged 37.2 minutes per game – recording 37.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. They were able to overcome injuries to Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo early in the series to advance to the next round.
5. Philadelphia 76ers Defeat the Chicago Bulls 4-2 in 2012
The Philadelphia 76ers finished the 2011-12 regular season as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 35-31 record. They were matched up against the Chicago Bulls, who were the No. 1 seed in the East with a 50-16 record. The Bulls were heavily favored, but the 76ers beat them 4-2 in the first round.
Despite losing Derrick Rose in Game 1, the Bulls walked away with a 103-91 win. Unfortunately, they lost the next three games – starting with a 109-92 win by the 76ers in Game 2. Jrue Holiday led the way for Philly with 26 points and 6 assists, while Lou Williams added 20 points and 6 assists off the bench.
Game 3 was a tight one, but the 76ers pulled away with a 79-74 win after outscoring the Bulls by 14 points in the fourth quarter. Spencer Hawes led the way for Philly with 21 points and 9 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner combined for 33 points – Lou Williams had 14 points off the bench.
The 76ers took a 3-1 series lead with an 89-82 victory in Game 4 after outscoring the Bulls 25-19 in the fourth quarter. Spencer Hawes led the way, once again, with 22 points and 3 blocks, while Jrue Holiday stayed productive with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists – Andre Iguodala had a double-double.
After suffering a 69-77 loss in Game 5, the 76ers closed the series out with a narrow 79-78 victory in Game 6. Both teams were knotted up at 63-63 heading into the fourth quarter and it remained close throughout the final quarter, but Andre Iguodala hit two free throws with 2 seconds left to win the game.
Jrue Holiday stayed consistent throughout the series and averaged 18.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 38.7 minutes per game (6 games). Lou Williams averaged 12.8 points off the bench, while Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, and Andre Iguodala averaged at least 11.5 points per game.
4. Memphis Grizzlies Defeat the San Antonio Spurs 4-2 in 2011
The Memphis Grizzlies finished the 2010-11 regular season as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a 46-36 record. They were matched up against the San Antonio Spurs, who were the No. 1 seed in the West with a 61-21 record. The Grizzlies somehow prevailed, beating the Spurs 4-2 in the first round.
The Grizzlies took an early series lead with a 101-98 win in Game 1. They were led by Zach Randolph (25 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks) and Marc Gasol (24 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks). Shane Battier and O.J. Mayo combined for 23 points off the bench, while Mike Conley chipped in with another 15 points.
After suffering an 87-93 loss in Game 2, the Grizzlies bounced back with a tight 91-88 win in Game 3. They were, once again, led by Zach Randolph with 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Marc Gasol and Mike Conley combined for 31 points, while Shane Battier and O.J. Mayo combined for 19 points.
The Grizzlies took a commanding 3-1 series lead with a 104-86 win in Game 4. Memphis didn’t have anyone score above 20 points, but Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, and Tony Allen combined for 38 points – while O.J. Mayo and Darrell Arthur combined for 25 points off the bench. It was a total team effort.
The Spurs battled back with a win in Game 5, but the Grizzlies closed out the series with a 99-91 victory in Game 6. Zach Randolph had his best game of the series and led the Grizzlies with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 steal – Tony Allen and Marc Gasol combined for 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
Zach Randolph put the team on his back throughout the six-game series and ended with 21.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 37.3 minutes per game. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol averaged 14.3 and 14.2 points per game, respectively, and O.J. Mayo averaged 9.0 points off the bench.
3. Golden State Warriors Defeat the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in 2007
The Golden State Warriors finished the 2006-07 season as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a 42-40 record. They were matched up against the Dallas Mavericks, who were the No. 1 seed in the West with a 67-15 record. The Warriors defied all odds, beating the Mavs 4-2 in the first round series.
The Warriors took an early series lead with a 97-85 win in Game 1. They were led by Baron Davis with 33 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block in 45 minutes. Stephen Jackson chipped in with 23 points, 2 steals, and 1 block, while Matt Barnes added another 10 points and 2 steals off the bench.
The Mavericks tied the series up with a 112-99 win in Game 2, but the Warriors bounced back with a 109-91 win in Game 3. Jason Richardson led the team with 30 points and 8 rebounds, while Baron Davis added 24 points and 2 steals – Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis combined for another 30 points.
The Warriors took a 3-1 series lead with a tight 103-99 victory in Game 4. Both teams were tied 77-77 after the third quarter, but the Warriors outscored the Mavs by four points in the fourth quarter. Baron Davis had 33 points, while Jason Richardson and Stephen Jackson combined for another 41 points.
The Mavericks avoided being sent home with a 118-112 win in Game 6, but the Warriors closed the series out with a commanding 111-86 victory in Game 6. All five of the Warriors’ starters scored in double-digits, including Stephen Jackson (33), Baron Davis (20), Matt Barnes (16), and Jason Richardson (15).
Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson were too much for the Mavericks to handle – Davis had 25.0 points per game in the series, while Jackson had 22.8 points per game. Jason Richardson nearly averaged 20 points with 19.5 points per game, while Matt Barnes averaged 10.2 points per game off the bench.
2. New York Knicks Defeat the Miami Heat 3-2 in 1999
The New York Knicks finished the 1998-99 regular season as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 27-23 record. They were matched up against the Miami Heat, who were the No. 1 seed in the East with a 33-17 record. The Knicks overcame the underdog noise, beating the Heat 3-2 in the first round.
The Knicks took an early series lead with a blowout 95-75 win in Game 1. Patrick Ewing only scored 9 points (15 rebounds) in the win, but other Knicks’ players stepped up to the plate – including Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell, both of whom scored 22 points (Sprewell did so off the bench).
New York allowed Miami to even up the series in Game 2, but bounced back with a blowout 97-73 win in Game 3 – leaving them one game shy of moving on. Patrick Ewing and Allan Houston combined for 33 points in the win, while Latrell Sprewell led the team with 20 points off the bench – again coming up big.
The Heat stayed alive with an 87-72 win in Game 4, but the Knicks closed the series out with a tight 78-77 win in Game 5 – thanks to a 10-foot, game-winning jump shot by Allan Houston with one second left. Patrick Ewing led the team with 22 points, while Latrell Sprewell chipped in with 14 points off the bench.
The Knicks were led by a three-headed monster in Latrell Sprewell (16.2 points per game), Allan Houston (15.2 points per game), and Patrick Ewing (14.6 points per game) – Ewing averaged a double-double. Larry Johnson added 12.0 points per game in the series, helping the team advance to the next round.
New York went on to beat the Atlanta Hawks 4-0 in the semifinals and the Indiana Pacers 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. They became the first and only No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals, but struggled to keep their Cinderella story alive – ultimately losing to the San Antonio Spurs in five games.
1. Denver Nuggets Defeat the Seattle Supersonics 3-2 in 1994
The Denver Nuggets finished the 1993-94 regular season as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a 42-40 record. They were matched up against the Seattle Supersonics, who were the No. 1 seed in the West with a 63-19 record. No one expected Denver to win, but their 3-2 series win says otherwise.
It didn’t start off well for the Nuggets, though. They ended up losing 106-82 in Game 1 (a 24-point loss) and losing again 97-87 in Game 2 (a 10-point loss). The Nuggets were down 2-0 and had their backs up against the wall – one more loss and they were going home. That’s when they kicked it into high gear.
The Nuggets got their first win of the series in Game 3, beating the Supersonics 110-93. They were led by Reggie Williams with 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Dikembe Mutombo added 19 points and 13 rebounds of his own. Rodney Rogers and Robert Pack combined for 26 points off the bench.
Denver, once again, stayed alive with a 94-85 in Game 4 – tying the series up at 2-2. They were led by LaPhonso Ellis, who had 27 points and 17 rebounds in 43 minutes. Dikembe Mutombo had 10 points and 16 rebounds, while Robert Pack and Rodney Rogers added another 21 points off the bench.
The Nuggets won their third game in a row to close out the series with a tight 98-94 overtime victory in Game 5. They were led by Robert Pack, who scored 23 points off the bench – Bison Dele had 17 points and 19 rebounds off the bench. LaPhonso Ellis turned in an impressive performance with 19 points.
The Denver Nuggets got it done through a total team effort – they had four players average at least 11.0 points per game and eight players average at least 8.8 points per game. Dikembe Mutombo did what he does best, averaging an impressive 12-point double-double and blocking 6.2 shots per game on defense.
The 2023 NBA Playoffs Are the Year of the Underdog
The Miami Heat weren’t the only team in the Eastern Conference to pull an upset in the NBA playoffs – the No. 5 seed New York Knicks ended up defeating the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers stayed true to their seed and avoided upsets of their own.
The Western Conference also saw two upsets in the first round – the No. 6 seed Golden State Warriors defeated the No. 3 seed Sacramento Kings in seven games, while the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies in six games. The Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns handled business.
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Looking at the NBA playoffs bracket, we’re guaranteed to see at least a No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference Finals (potentially a No. 8 seed) and at least a No. 6 seed in the Western Conference Finals (potentially a No. 7 seed). If that doesn’t get you excited for what’s to come, I don’t know what will.
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