Miami Heat: 5 quick takeaways from 2025-26 schedule release – Hot Hot Hoops

August 15, 2025 Admin

The Miami Heat’s full 82-game schedule for the 2025-26 season was released Thursday. (Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images)

The 2025-26 Miami Heat schedule has officially been released! What are our immediate takeaways from the Miami Heat’s full 82-game slate, as they look to rebound from their worst season in a decade?

You like Magic?

For the second consecutive season and the 5th time over the last nine seasons, the Miami Heat will open their campaign against the Orlando Magic.

Outside of last year’s opener, each of those four was played in the Kia Center — formerly known as the Amway Center. Miami is 1-4 (1-3 on road) in season-openers against Orlando, including getting blasted 116-97 a year ago.

It’s become an annual tradition at this point. The Magic are expected to be one of the best teams in the East this season after poaching guard Desmond Bane away from the Memphis Grizzlies, who the Heat face second.

Heat’s early-season slate is brutal:

Six of their first eight games will be away from home. Additionally, 10 of the Heat’s first 15 will come against postseason teams from a year ago — including against the Cavaliers twice and the New York Knicks thrice.

As I previously mentioned, they will play the Grizzlies (road) on Oct. 24. Miami will also play Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs away from home on Oct. 30. Not woven in this stretch are three November contests against Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks (home), Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks (home) and Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons (home), Duncan Robinson’s return to the 305!

That’s not an easy start to a season for a Heat team that has teetered around mediocrity for the last three seasons.

Heat spent most time on road in January and February … again:

Last year, Miami played eight of its 16 January contests away from home. It went 4-4 in those games.

This year, 10 of Miami’s 17 January affairs will be on the road, including a five-game West Coast road trip from Jan. 19-25. Six of its 11 games in February will also be on the road, including dates against the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers.

Heat have very few nationally-televised games:

After having 16 nationally-televised games in 2024-25, the Heat will have five — yes, just five — games nationally-aired in 2025-26. Here’s how they shape up:

Nov. 14 at New York Knicks (Amazon Prime)
Nov. 19 vs. Golden State Warriors (ESPN)
Jan. 6 at Minnesota Timberwolves (NBC)
Feb. 28 vs. Houston Rockets (Prime)
March 30 at Philadelphia 76ers (Peacock)

Of course, the league can decide to flex any of these games — adding (or subtracting) them throughout the season. But five is a staggeringly low amount, though part of it is justifiable since they have been a play-in team each of the last three seasons.

Heat will have the same number of back-to-backs as it did last year:

A talking point at any point of the season is the dreaded back-to-backs. The Miami Heat will play 15 back-to-backs for the second-straight year (one more than they did in 2023-24).

Their first back-to-back will be on Nov. 2-3 against the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, while their last back-to-back will be on March 29-30 against the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers.