Miami’s big two of Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh take on OKC’s mighty pair of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in a matchup of division leaders. The Heat have used a home-heavy early season schedule and the league’s top-ranked defense to claim the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and have played below the final total 13 times in their 16 games.
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SCHEDULING
Both teams last played on Monday, so the two days off between games will be a welcome respite. For the Thunder this game concludes a quick two-game road trip and the Northwest Division leaders will try to avoid heading home winless after a setback Monday in Atlanta as a 3-point favorite. The loss also dropped them to 3-4 SU on the road this season and just 2-5 ATS.
The Heat face arguably the NBA’s two toughest defensive challenges at small forward in the next two games of their four-game homestand. Miami will face Kevin Durant and the Thunder on Thursday followed by a visit from LeBron James and the Cavaliers on Saturday. Miami has played the most home games of any Eastern Conference team at this point in the season and hosts Washington on Monday before playing 21 of their next 32 on the road.
INJURIES
Luol Deng sat out his third straight game Monday against the Celtics and is questionable to play against the Thunder with what the team reported as a slight left hamstring strain. He played one game after initially suffering the injury, but has been shelved since. Gerald Green has been starting in his place.
OKC got Kevin Durant back in the lineup after he sat for six games with a hamstring injury. He tossed in 27 in his first game back and the Thunder are 3-1 since his return. The team has no other injury concerns and the two days off should help to heal minor aggravations.
KEY MATCHUP
If Durant’s importance to the Thunder wasn’t evident last year, he’s provided a few more reminders since returning from his latest injury. Somewhat overshadowed by Golden State’s remarkable start and Steph Curry’s scoring exploits, Durant has more quietly compiled numbers comparable to or exceeding those from his 2013-14 MVP campaign. The star forward is shooting a torrid 47.3 percent from three-point range and 52.2 overall in averaging 28.4 points through 12 games. Durant has been particularly hot since coming back from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for six games, averaging better than 30 points on 58.5 percent shooting in four games. After going 27-28 in games he missed last year, the Thunder are 8-4 with him in the lineup this season. Durant will have to work for his points against Miami’s defense that limits opponents to a NBA-best 40.8 field goal percentage. The Heat’s top defender, Luol Deng, will likely miss the game, creating more space and better opportunities for Durant to score.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The NBA has the biggest homecourt advantage of any sport and the Heat have used a home-heavy stretch in the early part of the season in their favor. Their eight home wins are the second-most in the Eastern Conference, but they’ve also played the most games on their own floor. It all evens out in the end and Miami is winning the games it should, despite dropping one to the Celtics on Monday. The big two of Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh has been phenomenal in the early going, leading the Heat to first place in the Southeast Division. Miami lacks depth and the injury to Deng has left them shorthanded. His return will take part of the load off Wade and Bosh, but his defense is more important. Having Deng available to defend Durant could be a game-changer. OKC coach Billy Donovan is still experimenting with his lineups and rotations, but locking in Durant and Russell Westbrook is a given. The two are probably the most dynamic teammates in the NBA and can do plenty on the court. Enes Kanter will neutralize Hassan Whiteside in the middle and Durant and Westbrook will do what they do best to get OKC a road win.
Oklahoma City 105, Miami 99
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