The Miami Heat try to shake off an 0-4 start when they visit the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday at State Farm Arena. This Heat vs Hawks preview comes with Miami losers of four straight to open the season and Atlanta looking to stop its own two-game slide after an otherwise hot start. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET, with the game airing on NBA League Pass.
Atlanta sits at 2-2 and second in the Southeast Standings at 1 game back of Charlotte. Miami is last in the division at 3 games back, still searching for its first win of the 2026-27 season.
Heat Vs Hawks Game Information
- Date: Wednesday, Oct. 28
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
- TV/Streaming: NBA League Pass
- Series: First meeting of the 2026-27 season
Can Miami Finally Find A Win?
Miami has dropped all four games to start the year, including a 113-109 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 26 and a 115-110 defeat to Charlotte on Oct. 24. The Heat are averaging 109 points per game while allowing opponents to shoot at a higher clip, and their 24.8 assists per game trail Atlanta’s 31.5 by a wide margin.
Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Miami in scoring at 28.5 points per game to go with 9.5 rebounds. Davion Mitchell paces the Heat with 7.0 assists per game. Miami’s turnover rate of 14.3 per game has been part of the problem through four losses.
Can Atlanta Snap Its Two-Game Skid?
The Hawks opened the season with three straight wins, including a 128-81 rout of Charlotte on Oct. 23, before dropping back-to-back road games to Houston on Oct. 25 and Oct. 27. Atlanta still ranks among the league’s better offenses early, averaging 121 points per game on 46.7% shooting from the field.
Jalen Johnson has carried the Hawks’ offense, averaging 21.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. Atlanta’s 31.5 assists per game and 11.3 steals per game both outpace Miami’s figures, a sign of the ball movement and defensive activity that fueled the team’s early three-game win streak.
Who Is Available For Wednesday
Atlanta guard Aaron Wiggins is listed as day-to-day with a left knee bruise, with a return date of Oct. 28, while forward Mouhamed Gueye (left foot fracture) and center Henri Veesaar (right knee) are both out. For Miami, guard Pelle Larsson (right ankle sprain) and forward Simone Fontecchio (illness) are both day-to-day with the same Oct. 28 return date listed. All three day-to-day players remain projections until the Hawks and Heat finalize lineups closer to tipoff.
Key Matchup: Ball Movement Vs A Shaky Defense
Atlanta’s 31.5 assists per game against Miami’s 24.8 highlights a gap in offensive organization that has shown up on both ends of the floor. The Hawks have also out-rebounded opponents on the offensive glass at 13.3 per game compared to Miami’s 10.0, giving Atlanta extra possessions that Miami’s 0-4 defense has had trouble containing.
Miami does hold an edge in shot-blocking, averaging 5.0 blocks per game to Atlanta’s 3.3, a number the Heat will need to lean on against a Hawks offense built around Johnson’s playmaking and interior scoring.
By The Numbers
- Points per game: Atlanta 121.0, Miami 109.0
- Field goal percentage: Atlanta 46.7%, Miami 43.2%
- Three-point percentage: Atlanta 33.1%, Miami 30.6%
- Assists per game: Atlanta 31.5, Miami 24.8
- Turnovers per game: Atlanta 13.8, Miami 14.3
- Offensive rebounds per game: Atlanta 13.3, Miami 10.0
- Defensive rebounds per game: Miami 30.5, Atlanta 28.5
- Steals per game: Atlanta 11.3, Miami 8.3
- Blocks per game: Miami 5.0, Atlanta 3.3
What To Watch
Miami’s four-game losing streak to open the season is the longest active skid in the Southeast Standings, and a loss in Atlanta would extend it to five. The Hawks, meanwhile, are trying to avoid a third straight defeat after their strong start, a stretch that included wins over Dallas, Orlando and Charlotte by a combined 123 points.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s production for Miami and Jalen Johnson’s all-around numbers for Atlanta give both teams a clear offensive focal point. How each team’s supporting cast performs around its respective engine, particularly with injury questions still unresolved for both sides, will shape how the opening weeks of the season continue to unfold for two teams already looking very different through their first four games.
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