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With the Miami Heat's 2025-26 season nearing closer and closer, fans got to see an extended look at what to expect with the NBA releasing the full schedule for every team. As some return games for the Heat will no doubt he highly anticipated regarding star players, there's no denying that the team is looking to get the bad taste out of their mouths after how last season ended.
There is no doubt that last season was one to forget as it was highlighted by on and off-the-court drama, specifically involving Jimmy Butler as he was traded to the Golden State Warriors right before the deadline. While Miami would finish 10th in the Eastern Conference, the team would get through as the first in its seeding to do so, but ended up being swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
It wasn't a typical sweep, which is already frustrating in itself, but the Heat would lose by 37 and 55 points respectively in the last two contests, both at home, marking historic back-to-back defeats. Let's just say that Miami wants to have better fortunes for the 2025-26 season, and with the schedule out, there's no denying that there are certain games that fans will have circled.
To dwindle it down, let's take a look at five can't-miss games for the 2025-26 season with the schedule officially out:
Ball really is life around here 🏀
Schedule Release // @Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/JCnvUJP4M7
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) August 14, 2025
The Heat's regular-season opener against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 22
With the Heat amid the offseason, the start of the regular season will come against the Magic on Oct. 22 in what will no doubt be a much-anticipated contest for a number of reasons. The first one being that every time Miami and Orlando have a game, it's always a vigorous and physical matchup, that sees itself usually low-scoring due to the defensive intensity.
Plus, the regular season opener will be the first real taste of how the new look lineup will be, especially with the big addition of Norman Powell to the lineup, likely starting alongside Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Andrew Wiggins. The same goes for the Magic, as, besides the talented core of Paolo Bancher, Jalen Suggs, and Franz Wagner, they made a deal to obtain former Memphis Grizzlies star Desmond Bane.
Getting a win over the new-look Magic on the road will be the confidence boost needed for Miami to start the season.
Heat's home regular-season opener vs. the New York Knicks on Oct. 26
Like with the game against the Magic, every outing that the Heat face the Knicks is one that fans can't wait for when the season rolls around. The excitement will be at its highest as well since the game will be the regular season opener, with the team hoping fans pack the Kaseya Center and rally the team to victory.
Also, this will be a prime opportunity for Miami to redeem itself after last season, as in the three games the team had against New York, they lost all of them. While the Knicks' star-studded core of Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony-Towns, Mikal Bridges, and others is still intact, the team has a new head coach in Mike Brown after the surprising firing of Tom Thibodeau.
Heat's Norman Powell returns to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 3
This is an obvious one, as the Heat made the trade for Powell in the offseason from the Clippers in a multi-team deal where they only sent out Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson. Besides the game being a fun matchup, Powell returning to Los Angeles to face his former team is no doubt a storyline to watch.
Powell had the best season in his NBA career with the Clippers last season, where he averaged 21.8 points per game on shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from deep. Being top-10 in All-Star voting for Western Conference guards, Powell benefited from the injury to Kawhi Leonard to start the season, but still kept up the impressive play throughout the year.
The trade was a necessary one for Miami as they needed a gutpunch on the offensive side of the ball that could pair alongside Herro, Wiggins, and Adebayo. Besides fans circling this one on the calendar, one has to wonder if this is also a game that Powell is very much looking forward to.
Heat host the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 19, being a reunion for many
Does this one need explaining? Not really, but let's do it anyway. This game will serve as a reunion for many, the main narrative being about Butler returning to face the Heat after a season of drama.
Miami hosted Golden State on March 25 last season as the buildup and aftermath were more eventful than the game itself, maybe for Warriors fans, as the Heat dominated them, 112-86. While the basketball world was looking out for a Butler revenge game, it would be Adebayo who had one, scoring 27 points with eight rebounds, leading the team to an energetic victory on both sides.
However, superstar Stephen Curry missed the game as the upcoming game could be a full-powered contest on both sides. Not to mention that the game is also a reunion for Andrew Wiggins, who was the main piece in return from Golden State in the Butler trade.
The game is also one of the team's five primetime outings, with it being the only one on ESPN.
Duncan Robinson comes back to face the Heat with the Pistons on Nov. 29
When the Heat dealt Duncan Robinson to the Pistons in a sign-and-trade, it marked the end of a fruitful relationship that resulted in arguably the greatest three-point shooter in the franchise's history. There's no denying that Robinson is one of the best success stories for Miami, as the team picked him up as an undrafted free agent and, after developing him, became a dynamic three-point shooter who has been vital.
Robinson has hit 1,202 three-pointers for the Heat, a franchise record, as he's also the quickest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 made deep makes. The usage of Robinson had dwindled in recent seasons, leading to the split, but his impact will always be felt on the team and will be very hard to replicate.
It should be a bittersweet reunion for players such as Adebayo and Herro, as all three of them grew up on the Heat together. Plus, Detroit is an ascending team, so seeing the unit go up against Miami's new look will be a fascinating matchup.
LeBron James comes back to the Heat on March 19 for the last time?
A game that is likely to be on the list every year until he retires, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers come to the Kaseya Center to take on the Heat. It's been repeated many times and will continue to be, but James' time with Miami is one for the books, as ever since he announced on live television his intentions to take his talents to South Beach, the success was historic.
In the four seasons he was with them, the team went to four straight NBA Finals, winning back-to-back in 2012 and 2013, though there are some that might find it disappointing Miami didn't beat the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs in the other years. Still, the legacy is cemented as James had some of his best years with the team until he returned to his home team in the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014.
Ever since the exit, his coming back to Miami is always a storyline, one that could be emphasized more if this is his final season in the NBA, as retirement rumors are at their largest.
Honorable mentions
There are still other games that could've been mentioned, like any of the NBA Cup contests, the Heat looking to redeem themselves against the Cavs, or any contest against their possibly most heated rival in the Boston Celtics. At any rate, Miami is looking to improve after finishing 37-45, finishing 10th as said before.
