Game story:
The Miami Heat, on the second night of a back-to-back, travel to NY to play the visiting Brooklyn Nets. The Heat go into tonight with a 23-16 record, 5th in the East.
Miami is 1-2 against the Nets this season and will look to even up that record in their final matchup.
Brooklyn is sporting a 16-22 record and most recently coming off a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Not only is Miami coming off a dominating double digit win against the Charlotte Hornets last night, but it was also a truly special evening in South Florida as the team honored the Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade during the game.
Pat Riley blew up social media with the formal announcement of the D-Wade statue in the works for fall of 2024 right on Biscayne Blvd outside the Heat arena.
Bam Adebayo led the way last night with a 24/10/7 near triple double.
Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson also shot the ball very well. Herro posted 21/7/4 on 7/15 shooting as Robinson had 19/5/4 off the bench on 7/11 shooting.
The biggest news, current team related, of last night was Jaime Jaquez Jr. who started the game scorching hot offensively but exited the game with a groin injury. He is listed as out for tonight.
Kyle Lowry, who is dealing with a hand injury but started last night, was downgraded to doubtful.
However, Jimmy Butler was upgraded to questionable and is expected to return this evening. Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reported last week that Butler was aiming for Monday to be his return from that toe injury he suffered in Utah.
Before that game, he was also out for some time with a calf injury.
It will be really nice to see the big three of Butler, Adebayo and Herro all together again on the floor.
With Butler back and Kevin Love/ Jaquez Jr. hurt in the front court, look for Nikola Jovic to continue getting reps at that starting PF position.
It will be interesting to see who Coach Spoelstra opts to pair with Herro in the backcourt with Kyle Lowry unavailable again.
Some options could be Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin or Haywood Highsmith.
Herro can play combo guard, so having other wing players as options is possible to start alongside Herro considering he can play either guard positions.
A common Brooklyn Nets Heat killer is young stud Mikal Bridges. It’s almost guaranteed Bridges will be all over that Miami scouting report. Bridges dropped a career high 44 points against the Heat in Brooklyn during a win last season.
That center position battle between Bam Adebayo and Nic Claxton will also be something to watch.
Tonight’s game will tip off at 7:30 PM ET on Bally Sports Florida.
Injury Report (at the time of this publishing):
Miami Heat:
- Jimmy Butler (toe) — Questionable
- Kyle Lowry (hand) — Doubtful
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. (groin) — OUT
- Kevin Love (shoulder) — OUT
- Jamal Cain (g league) — OUT
- RJ Hampton (g league) — OUT
- Dru Smith (knee) — OUT
Brooklyn Nets:
- Ben Simmons (back) — OUT
- Day’Ron Sharpe (knee) — OUT
- Keon Johnson (g league) — OUT
- Dariq Whitehead (g league) — OUT
- Jalen Wilson (g league) — OUT
- Noah Clowney (g league) — OUT
Projected Starting 5 (subject to change):
Miami Heat:
- Tyler Herro, G
- Caleb Martin, G
- Jimmy Butler, F
- Nikola Jovic, F
- Bam Adebayo, C
Brooklyn Nets:
- Spencer Dinwiddie, G
- Mikal Bridges, G
- Dorian Finney-Smith, F
- Cameron Johnson, F
- Nic Claxton, C
Betting Lines:
- Check the current odds out at FanDuel!
Broadcast Info:
- Tipoff: 7:30 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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Surprised that Hampton and Cain are playing in the G-League with so many guards out of the rotation. I wonder if the Heat just say ‘screw it’ and instead of holding out for an all-star like Donovan Mitchell, they trade 2 first round picks for a guy like Dejuante Murray to round out the rotation.
I posted this in another area here, here’s my two cents. I’ve read from various sources that the Hawks want to reset the team around 25-year-old Trae Young. I can see why, they are having a rough go this year, standing at 15-23. Last year there were plenty of rumors Atlanta was interested in moving on from John Collins and/or De’Andre Hunter. They moved Collins but find themselves paddling upstream this season. This year the Dejounte Murray rumors abound. Having said that, here’s a trade idea to push the needle forward.
Miami trades Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, and a pick (1st rd) for De’Andre Hunter and Dejounte Murray. This brings in a PG and a PF who have three-point shooting skills and play defense (Murray would be fine under Spoelstra’s tutelage). Atlanta gets a solid young rotation player, a pick, and a 29.7M+ expiring contract for an off-season shopping spree.
That would leave Miami with a solid young core for the future (age and remaining length of contract in parenthesis): Adebayo (26, 3yrs), Herro (23, 4yrs), Jaquez (22, 4yrs), Murray (27, 5yrs), Hunter (26, 4yrs). As well as still having Jovic(20, 3yrs) and Robinson (29, 2yrs) on the team. You strengthen the team with some young horses for the rest of Jimmy Butler’s run (3 yrs) and have a solid core for whoever you bring in later to fill Butler’s 45M cap space.
The money works in a trade. So what do you guys think?
That sounds good to me. My only thought is that the Hawks have made it pretty clear they want 2 first round picks for Murray (they paid two picks plus a swap to get him), and now you’re asking them to include Hunter.
If you take the Hunter/Martin swap out of the deal, you’re basically offering Lowry and a first round pick for Murray. I don’t know enough about the trade value of Hunter or Martin to know who is the better player, but I don’t think it moves needle for the Hawks enough to close the trade.
I think a more likely trade is some version of Lowry, a g-league guy like Cain or Highsmith, and two 1st round picks for Murray plus an extra player to make money work. Which I still support. But I wonder if the Heat would rather hold-out for a better player if they’re cashing in their draft picks?
I agree that you may have to have more sweeteners for that deal. I don’t want to give up Jovic, but if they want him?
And hello btw
Hey btw! Sorry I took so long to respond, life.
I would make that trade, but hawks would be stupid to make that trade. Plus If you add hunter to the trade, they will want more then that offer.
We are going to need Butler tonight as this team gives us fits.