Bam Adebayo reveals how Miami can climb out of eighth-seed purgatory

With Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls in back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday nights, the two teams faced off on Thursday, resulting in a 116-113 victory. While it is The Heat will be without key players Norman Powell and Davion Mitchellon Thursday, the team showed how capable it can be, with the captain Bam Adebayo revealing an area that could catapult them beyond mid-range.

If there’s one place Miami has been comfortable watching the last few seasons, it’s the eighth seed, where they’ve finished the last three years. Meaning, the team usually competes in a play-in tournament, which the Heat are actively trying to get out of, but it will be from taking a defensive attitude every nightas Adebayo expressed it.

“We know what we’re capable of defensively … We’ve got to continue to do that night in and night out. And when we figure that out, and when we commit to that, we’re not going to be seventh or eighth,” Adebayo said, via HeatCulture on X, formerly Twitter.

Bam says once they figure out the defensive issues, they won’t be in the game👀

“We know what we’re capable of defensively, it’s just a matter of doing it night in and night out and when we figure it out and commit to it – we’re not going to be at 7/8… https://t.co/kjKCEKnTS1 pic.twitter.com/dh7utUSIiD

— ღამარი (@VadekFlash) January 30, 2026

Miami is currently eighth in defensive rating, which shows that the team can be disruptive, but January showed that games are getting out of hand because of lapses on that end. It starts with the starting lineup, but the bench is also vital to its defense, with Drew Smith showing his prowess with steals and rebounds.

“I think that’s what we have to bring every night,” Smith said after recording three steals in Chicago, via the team’s YouTube page. “And that’s something Spo talked to us about after the last game … If we bring that defense, our offense played really well. So if we can do that, then we’ll start putting plays together.”

The Heat will play the Bulls twice more this weekend

As it is The Heat are surrounded by trade rumorsespecially centered on Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the team is focused on getting better right now. Miami will face Chicago twice more over the weekend, with a busy schedule due to a postponed game earlier in the month.

“You could see the activity, the intent defensively, and we have a lot of respect for Chicago, how quickly they can put points on the board … freaking win,” Spoelstra said.

Miami is 26-23, which puts them in eighth place in the East, as the team tries to break away.