The Miami Heat are coming off of one of their more impressive and important wins of the season on Saturday. Though they did the same thing they did in a matchup with the very same team a week prior to the day, they were able to come out on the other side of it with the same fate.
Downing the Utah Jazz after allowing a huge late comeback, this time in Utah on Saturday, the Miami Heat were able to get back on track after dropping their previous three games of the road trip.
Ironically enough, their last two wins have come against the Jazz, sandwiched around three losses to the Nuggets, the Lakers, and the Clippers. Enough about some of the sad times of the past though, as the Miami Heat must continue to look towards the future of tomorrow.
On Monday, that means a meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is a 5-7 OKC team, coming off a blowout loss on Sunday at the hands of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and the Brooklyn Nets.
The Miami Heat close their road trip Monday in Oklahoma City against the Thunder. Ripe for the situation, they must avoid the fate of a classic ‘Trap Game’
This is also a Thunder team that had loss six of its first seven contest, before going on a four-game winning streak that collapsed with the Brooklyn loss. Their wins have come twice against the Lakers, the Spurs, the Kings, and the Pelicans.
In fact and in the Lakers contests, a team that beat the Heat just a few days back, the Thunder were down big in both games and proceeded to close the gaps for huge comeback victories. What does this all mean though?
Why are all these facts important? Well, if you look at them all in totality, it tells you one thing and that’s that this Oklahoma City Thunder team will beat you if you give them the opportunity.
That’s what the Miami Heat have to be aware of heading into the former Chesapeake Energy Arena (now the Paycom Center) and among 55,000 screaming away fans. Against a scrappy young team like the Thunder that features two dynamic playmakers in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, among others, the Miami Heat must stay on their toes.
This is the classic Trap Game. Against a team that they should beat, coming off of a huge victory over Utah, and finally breathing a sigh of relief after three tough losses, the situation is ripe for it.
That’s what they have to be aware of and protect against. Because the Miami Heat are the Miami Heat though, you hope and have faith that they won’t let it happen.
At least, they better not.