Preview: Miami Heat vs Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 PM Wednesday.
Heat (27-22) @ Mavericks (28-23)
Where: Dallas, TX
When: Wednesday, February 3, 8:30 PM EST
Watch: FSSUN
With both teams coming off one of the more disappointing losses of their respective seasons, the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks will face off in the Let’s Get Back on Track Bowl Wednesday night.
Okay, maybe that’s overstating it, but this is an important game for the Heat, whose loss against the Rockets Tuesday snapped a four-game losing streak. The Rockets’ fast pace forced the Heat into a sloppy game, who committed 17 turnovers and shot under 45 percent from the field and made just six of 17 3-pointers.
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Miami has turned over a new lead, focusing on getting into its offense faster and picking up its pace, but the loss against Houston shows they still have a way to go. You would hope the Heat would come out with a stronger focus to correct its mistakes.
Hassan Whiteside, who had 25 points and 19 rebounds the last time he played the Mavericks, is questionable for the game at the time of this being written. Chris Andersen and Tyler Johnson are out. Dallas will be without guards Deron Williams and Devin Harris.
Matchup to Watch: Chris Bosh vs Dirk Nowitzki
This is always a fun matchup. Bosh and Nowitzki, two of the premier power forwards of this century, are in the final laps of their careers (though Nowitski is a bit further along), but they are both leading teams poised for a playoff appearance. Bosh recently remarked that he has stolen moves from Nowitski throughout his career.
Watching the two mid-range maestros go at it, scoring and facilitating from the elbow, will be worth watching. Who does it the best will give his team a leg up in the game.
X-Factor: Gerald Green
The Heat need some shooting from the perimeter–especially now with Tyler Johnson out for a substantial amount of time. Green hasn’t made more than one 3-pointer in a game since Jan. 19, and Miami needs him to step up. The Mavs aren’t a deep team and, with their injuries, are especially hurting.
This is the kind of game Green can go off and lift Miami’s bench over that of Dallas. If Green can drain a few 3’s and get on a hot streak, it will help the Heat take its new-found dedication to pace and space to the next level.
Key Stats:
Miami Heat offensive efficiency: 24th, 101.6 points per 100 possessions
Miami Heat defensive efficiency: 5th, 100.2 points allowed per 100 possessions
Dallas Mavericks offensive efficiency: 11th, 103.0 points per 10 possessions
Dallas Mavericks defensive efficiency: 15th, 102.7 points allowed per 100 possessions