Game story:
The Miami Heat get Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jovic back from their one game suspensions as the team heads to Portland to play the Blazers. The Heat just beat the Sacramento Kings in impressive fashion last night and improved to 32-25 on the season. On the second night of a back-to-back, the Heat will look to get revenge against Joe Cronin and the struggling 15-41 Blazers.
Portland will be missing several key players, including Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams 3rd and even their sought after rookie prospect Scoot Henderson.
As for the Heat, Terry Rozier and Tyler Herro were both listed as questionable with knee injuries prior to last night’s game. Both of them were downgraded before the start of tip-off, but one of them could play tonight. Miami’s official injury report has not been submitted yet. Orlando Robinson was also listed as questionable yesterday along with Josh Richardson still being sidelined.
If both Herro and Rozier are unavailable, Delon Wright will most definitely be slotted in as the starting PG again. The recent buyout market addition played very well in his Heat debut last night, totaling 13 points, 5 assists and 2 steals on 3/5 shooting.
The Blazers are coming off a loss on Sunday to the Charlotte Hornets. However, it was a game that featured Deandre Ayton drop a 26/19 double-double. They also have Jerami Grant, which brings a solid frontcourt duo into the mix on any given night for them.
Jimmy Butler hosted a Miami Heat watch party for him, Jovic and Thomas Bryant late last evening. Butler posted a video onto his instagram story of him rooting on his guys in their resilient effort last night, chanting “Let’s go Heat” while watching the game on TV.
It will be great to have Butler back in the fold for a game that will definitely have some slight personal meaning to the guys in the locker room to take down Cronin’s franchise. Cronin, the Blazers GM, is responsible for the ugly Damian Lillard/Blazers divorce over the summer that involved Lillard requesting to be dealt to Miami and only Miami. Cronin disregarded his franchise player’s admirations and sent him to the Milwaukee Bucks, out of spite of the Heat.
Cronin reportedly had zero interest in dealing with Pat Riley and the Heat.
Now Miami will get to display that rumored ‘Dame package’ that was on the table all summer long for Cronin, which included the likes of young pieces Jaime Jaquez Jr and Nikola Jovic among others. Both players have been very affective for the Heat in different spurts this season, Jaquez Jr is coming off a 26 point performance last night himself.
Tonight’s West Coast matchup will tip off at 10:00 PM EST again on Bally Sports Florida.
Injury Report (at the time of this publishing):
Miami Heat:
- NOT YET SUBMITTED.
Portland Trail Blazers:
- Rayan Rupert (ankle) — PROBABLE
- Malcolm Brogdon (elbow) — OUT
- Shaedon Sharpe (abdominal) — OUT
- Moses Brown (wrist) — OUT
- Scoot Henderson (adductor) — OUT
- Robert Williams 3rd (knee) — OUT
Projected Starting 5 (subject to change):
Miami Heat:
- Delon Wright, G
- Caleb Martin, G
- Jimmy Butler, F
- Nikola Jovic, F
- Bam Adebayo, C
Portland Trail Blazers:
- Kris Murray, G
- Anfernee Simons, G
- Toumani Camara, F
- Jerami Grant, F
- Deandre Ayton, C
Betting Lines:
- Check the current odds out at FanDuel!
Broadcast Info:
- Tipoff: 10:00 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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err..Go celtics..beat those 6ers lol
After last night Heat/Kings game, I looked at both conference standings. On the West, I saw the Kings at the 6th position. At first, I could not find the Blazers, So, I started again looking down from the top of the ladder and I still could not find the Blazers. I thought my eyes were playing games on me. Then, I looked further down and saw that the standing ladder continued beyond what my screen was showing. I so scrolled the screen up and alas, wtf, Blazers at the 14th position! Certainly, Dame was smart to get out. If the Heat loose today’s game I won’t be surprised, basketball can be a funny game.
Go Heat, Go!
Heat should be careful. this is a classic trap game.
They played a short-handed roster big minutes less than 24 hours ago, then flew to a different city where they probably couldn’t get a good late night meal. And their next game is a Finals rematch in Denver.
Meanwhile, the Blazers are coming off a bad loss with multiple days off, so they’re trying to get back on track. And this is one of the few games this season where the crowd might actually be into the game, because of all the offseason nonsense.
Alas, this is the first Heat game in Portland I’ve missed in a while, because my wife is out of town, my kids are out on the Blazers since Dame got traded, and I refuse to give money to the Blazers organization until they stop tanking.
Me too, I expect Blazers fans will be into it.
Not really a revenge game for me though we will not know anymore what this Heat team would look like with Dame, they seem good if not better off with that “failed” deal. I hope JJJ, Jovic, Dunc plays big and get a resounding win. Those 3 are most likely included in the list in that Dame exchange. Go Heat!
Rozier has been cleared to play!
Yay!
This is perfect. Getting some fresh legs on second night of the B2B
I had to ‘rec’ every comment here!
This is a game of the year.
I had enough listening those morrons (some of Portlands fans, not all of them ) mocking to us on this forum because of Lillard.
Everything but blown out would be a disappointment for me. A poster or two, ball through legs, etc. would be a benefit.
We’re getting some fresh bodies back tonight, with that being said I hope we destroy, dismantle, embarrass, and blast these fools out the gym. Trailblazers deserve an ass whooping of epic proportions.
dame messed up his own trade wishes by going about it the wrong way, but i still hope the heat tear the blazers’ asses to pieces for being a wretched franchise
Hear hear!
Would be a dream scenario to get the 3rd road win of the 4 game set. I think Jimmy comes out on a mission. Go HEAT!