ATTENTION SATELLITE SUBSCRIBERS, TONIGHT’S GAME WILL BE ON ALTERNATE SATELLITE CHANNELS.
Direct TV customers should tune in to channel 635 and Dish Network subscribers should look on channel 448.
Stay with your home team coverage of Miami HEAT basketball as they host the Atlanta Hawks in the season finale at the American Airlines Arena.
The 20th anniversary season for Miami comes to an end tonight at home. With just 14 wins on the season, the HEAT are in a position to tie the record of the very first team in franchise history with a win tonight against a Hawks team that will likely rest many of its key players. The Hawks have already clinched their first playoff berth in 9 seasons, and will square off against the top seeded Boston Celtics when the playoffs get underway on Saturday.
Miami has certainly endured its share of tough times this season, but some notable accomplishments have nonetheless shown through. Ricky Davis tonight will become just the 13th player in franchise history to play in all 82 games, the 3rd time in his career he has accomplished that feat. The HEAT did field a record 30 different starting lineups in 2007-08 and 22 different players donned a HEAT uniform – matching the all-time high of Pat Riley’s first season in 1995-96. The long-awaited inclusion of Riley into the Basketball Hall of Fame was another high point for Miami, and tonight the team honors the longest tenured trainer in NBA history – Ron Culp. Culp has spent 37 seasons in the NBA and all 20 with the franchise since its inception back in 1988-89. Tonight will mark his 3001st career game as an athletic trainer. Culp will be honored with an extensive halftime ceremony.
Despite losing 4 of their last 6 games, the Atlanta Hawks did play their way into the playoffs with a strong stretch of basketball in late March and early April. Behind the superior efforts of Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby, Atlanta won 9 of 11 games between March 14th and April 2nd to basically sew up a spot in the postseason for the first time since the Lenny Wilkens led squad made the playoffs in the strike-shortened season of 1998-99. Johnson and Bibby are the only two members of the Hawks with any postseason experience, and they will most certainly face a challenge against the league’s top team in Boston, who swept the 3-game series with Atlanta.
On tonight’s edition of the Pontiac/GMC Halftime Report, the HEAT pay special tribute to the only trainer in their 20 year history – Ron Culp.
Join Jason Jackson and Heat originals Eric Reid and Tony Fiorentino as they bring you every bounce and basket of HEAT and Hawks basketball beginning at 7:30 pm live from the American Airlines Arena – on the home for your Miami HEAT all season long – Sun Sports.
And HEAT Fans – be sure to stay tune back to Sun Sports next Monday at 9:00 pm for the final two episodes of a 3-part series entitled “A Classic Conversation” between Alonzo Mourning and Bill Russell. Show 2 – Building a Dynasty, starts at 9:00 pm and the debut of Show 3 –– Beyond Basketball follows show 2.
