The Miami Heat have battled their way back to the Eastern Conference’s eight seed with 16 games to go, but they face stiff competition from the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets who both trail the Heat by just one game in the standings.
Considering how tight the race is for the final playoff spot, it’s safe to say the winner of this race will come down to some combination of softest schedule, health, overall good luck and whoever gets the hottest.
We’ll take a look at how ESPN’s BPI and FiveThirtyEight’s CARMELO projections forecast the fates of these three rivals.