The Miami Heat will play host to the shorthanded Phoenix Suns Saturday evening inside Kaseya Center, looking to get back above .500 for the fourth time this season.
The Heat, currently sitting at 10-10, good enough for the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, are coming off their most dominant game of the season–and one of the most dominant in franchise history. Miami blasted the Los Angeles Lakers 134-93 Wednesday evening, tying their fourth-highest point-differential in franchise history while also tying the franchise record in made 3-pointers (24) and setting it in assists (42). Tyler Herro led the way with 31 points on 9-of-16 shooting from 3-point range, though netted seven straight triples in the third quarter alone.
The Suns will be without superstar forward Kevin Durant, who is out with a left ankle sprain. The Suns are 1-7 with a minus-8.8 NET without Durant this season, with their lone win coming in an eight-point victory against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 12. Most recently, the Suns narrowly lost a two-point game against the beleaguered New Orleans Pelicans, even though Devin Booker and Bradley Beal combined to score 52 of the team’s 124 points.
Miami, sporting a fringe top-10 defense, will be tasked with stopping them. The two foes already met in Phoenix, resulting in a 115-112 Suns win where the Heat couldn’t make a shot inside the paint. Will its fortunes change Saturday? Time will tell!
Injury Report (at the time of this publishing):
Miami Heat:
- Jimmy Butler (knee) — PROBABLE
- Josh Christopher (G-League) — OUT
- Pelle Larsson (ankle) — QUESTIONABLE
- Kel’el Ware (G-League) — OUT
Phoenix Suns:
- Jalen Bridges (G-League) — OUT
- Ryan Dunn (ankle) — QUESTIONABLE
- Kevin Durant (ankle) — OUT
- Collin Gillespe (G-League) — OUT
- Jusuf Nurkic (thigh) — OUT
Projected Starting 5 (subject to change):
Miami Heat:
- Tyler Herro, G
- Duncan Robinson, G
- Jimmy Butler, F
- Haywood Highsmith, F
- Bam Adebayo, C
Phoenix Suns:
- Tyus Jones, G
- Devin Booker, G
- Bradley Beal, G
- Royce O’Neale, F
- Mason Plumlee, C
Broadcast Info:
- Tipoff: 8:00 PM EST
- TV: FanDuel Sports Network 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)
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We got game! Go Heat!