Miami Heat vs LA Lakers: Preview, Watch/Listen, Odds

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball against the Miami Heat (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball against the Miami Heat (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Miami Heat were victorious in Phoenix on the second leg of their road trip. Can they keep the good times rolling against one of the best in the west?

The Miami Heat went into Thursday’s game with a sense of purpose and it showed. After losing in dramatic fashion to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, on Denver’s home floor, the Miami Heat came out and played with a sense of purpose on Thursday, some more than others.

It was a tale of two halves, with Jimmy Butler being the lead in the first act. Butler played like a man possessed in the first half. He would play the entire first quarter en route to scoring 18 points for the Miami Heat.

He would continue those dastardly ways by continuing to be aggressive for the rest of the half. He would come on in the second quarter and continue to add to what would be a great night for Butler and his new club. He finished the first half with 30 points, the first and only 30 point half in the NBA this season.

Just like Jimmy Butler had done in the first half for the Miami Heat, Goran Dragic took over in the second half. Dragic went on a hot streak shooting the ball, that included a myriad of threes, a buzzer-beating pull up three to close the third quarter, and quite a few big shots in the fourth to help take the Miami Heat to victory.

The Miami Heat wound up winning the game by a score of 124-108. This was a much-needed victory, considering the fact that they had just lost a tough one to Denver on Tuesday along with the fact that they would face another tough matchup on Friday in the Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers are arguably one of the two best teams in the Western Conference and the league. They are led by former Miami Heat player LeBron James and the newly acquired Anthony Davis.

Their last game saw them come back from being down a ton to win the game, although it was against the Chicago Bulls, it shows what they are capable of when focus and determined to get something done. They are off to a 6-1 record, winning six straight up until this point, after dropping their opening night game to their roommates in the L.A. Clippers.

This will be a tough matchup for the Miami Heat and especially if they aren’t at full strength. This was worth a mention when you consider the reports on Friday that place Justise Winslow in the NBA’s concussion protocol, a day after missing games with a headache and just a few days removed from a nasty, but literal head to head collision with Pual Millsap of the Denver Nuggets.

Miami Heat gambling & odds vs Phoenix Suns

Money line- Miami +325 L.A. -405

Spread- Miami +8.5

Total- 217

Gambling odds and information courtesy of The Action Network

How To Watch/Listen

Date: November 8, 2019

Time: 10:30 PM EST

Location: Staples Center Los Angeles, California

TV: Fox Sports Sun(locally), NBA TV(nationally), Fubo.tv

Starting Lineups

Miami Heat

PG- Kendrick Nunn

SG- Jimmy Butler

SF- Duncan Robinson

PF- Bam Adebayo

C- Meyers Leonard

L.A. Lakers

PG- LeBron James

SG- Danny Green

SF- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

PF- Anthony Davis

C- Javale McGee