Game story:
The 20-14 Miami Heat will play their final matchup of the 5 game West Coast trip tonight against the 18-16 Phoenix Suns. The Heat are looking to head back to South Florida with a winning record of 3-2 during this trip.
Last season, Miami swept the season series with Phoenix 2-0. They are 32-37 all time against the Suns.
The Suns are coming off a loss to the LA Clippers and the status of superstar Kevin Durant is questionable. He did not play in their last game.
Miami, after dropping two consecutive games, just beat the LA Lakers the other night. With Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin and Haywood Highsmith all sidelined, it was an outstanding team performance as all 8 of the rotation players scored in double figures.
Butler, Martin and Highsmith are all out tonight as well as Butler traveled back to Miami to get his injured foot/toe looked at.
It’s expected for Coach Spoelstra to run with the same starting lineup as the last game, including both youngsters Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic to shape out the front court with Bam Adebayo.
Tyler Herro was the leading scorer for the Heat in that Lakers win; the SG dropped 21 points on 50% shooting from three.
Jovic also had a great showing, he led the team in +\- and scored 15 points. He held all Lakers playing to 30% shooting.
For the entire West Coast trip so far, Jovic has shot at least 50% in each game and 60% from 3 point range.
Veteran Kevin Love had a season high 14 rebounds, who has been a huge boost off the bench recently and continues to bring a winning mindset and energy to this team in limited minutes.
With Durant being banged up, the Heat’s game plan tonight has to involve star player Devin Booker.
Booker is someone who can fill it up real fast and explode offensively any given night. With a few of the team’s top wing defenders all out tonight, expect Herro and maybe even Jaquez Jr. to be guarding Booker.
The game will tip off at 9:00 PM ET on Bally Sports Florida.
Injury Report (at the time of this publishing):
Miami Heat:
- Caleb Martin (ankle) — Doubtful
- Jimmy Butler (toe) — OUT
- Haywood Highsmith (concussion) — OUT
- Orlando Robinson (g league) — OUT
- Dru Smith (knee) — OUT
Phoenix Suns:
- Kevin Durant (hamstring) — Questionable
- Eric Gordon (knee) — Questionable
- Nassir Little (knee) — Questionable
- Damion Lee (meniscus) — OUT
Projected Starting 5 (subject to change):
Miami Heat:
- Kyle Lowry, G
- Tyler Herro, G
- Jaime Jaquez Jr, F
- Nikola Jovic, F
- Bam Adebayo, C
Phoenix Suns:
- Bradley Beal, G
- Devin Booker, G
- Grayson Allen, G/F
- Chimezie Metu, F/C
- Jusuf Nurkic, C
Betting Lines:
- Check the current odds out at FanDuel!
Broadcast Info:
- Tipoff: 9:00 PM EST
- TV: Bally Sports Sun (Eric Reid, John Crotty)
- Radio: AM 560 Sports WQAM & The HEAT Radio Network (Jason Jackson)
- Spanish Radio: WAQI 710 AM & The HEAT Spanish Radio Network (José Pañeda)
Come back to Hot Hot Hoops at game time to join our GameThread and chat about the game live with other Heat fans!
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Won’t be able to follow this game will be out with the fam. Booker might be a little relieved Jimmy is absent. He still has nightmares being guarded by JB 😂. Let’s rout ’em big! Go Heat!!
I don’t know how we do it, but since we just beat the Lakers, anything is possible, despite missing so many players. The question is, how do we do it? Was it really defense or the opponent shooting bad. I know it is a combo of the two, but just how much is defense? The Lakers were so perplexed about their performance they started blaming the coach.
It seems more and more like this Heat team could be a little better than you expect. I only wish we had less injuries because it does not let you really get a handle on where we stand. I’ve never seen this many injuries. Do they keep records on this as we may be at a very high pace of player missed games.
This has been a crazy year, full of ups and downs, but more ups than I expected, so far. Still, I will be most pleasantly surprised if this line-up doesn’t get throttled by the Suns.
30 what have the heat done since jimmys arrival finals ecf always playoffs why r u surprised
Suns are in similar position to Lakers. Underperforming and looking for a way to get a winning streak started. They mortgaged their bench and future to go “all in” on Durant, Beal and Booker. As it was against the Lakers, Miami’s team defense will be critical. Our guys have demonstrated they can do it. I have confidence they will do it again tonight! I’m expecting big games out of several of our role players.
Next Man Up!
GO HEAT!!!
Starting to worry about Jimmy Butler’s foot
years and years of pounding on that hard floor .foot injury could end a career.hopefully just a bruise
We’ll see how he performs between now and playoffs. If he is not up to previous standard, it may be time to move on to a modified rebuild. We already have a good young core and could be better with the players/assets we could get by trading Jimmy. He certainly does not seem to be up to a max extension next summer. Jaquez looks like he would be a natural replacement for Jimmy at SF next season.
GO HEAT!!!
I think Cain will get heavy minutes today. He is the right man for Booker.
cain should get heavy mins everynight.he can defend rebound athletic and given time can scorevery unselfish player never looks for his shot