The Heat entered the season as both the defending Southeast Division and Eastern Conference champions.
The season began just 72 days after the completion of the 2020 Finals, giving the Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers the shortest off-season in league history.
[1] With a win over the Boston Celtics 129–121, the Heat returned to the playoffs for the second straight year on May 11.
They attempted to make back-to-back NBA Finals appearances for the first time since 2013 and 2014, but fell to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in the first round in a four-game sweep in a rematch of last season's Conference semifinals in which the Heat won in five games.
This is the first time that the Heat were swept in the playoffs since 2007 which was also in the first round against the Chicago Bulls.