The Miami Heat are set to take on another struggling team, the Houston Rockets, Saturday night on the road in Houston. The Heat are on a disappointing three-game losing streak, while the Rockets just dropped two games in a row to the Los Angeles Lakers before getting back on track. In an attempt to salvage their season, the Heat must do the same.
Just like that, the Heat are right back where they were before their seven-game win streak: the play-in. If you thought they had pulled themselves out of that pit, you may have been fooled. What makes things even more difficult for Miami, though, is considering the teams with whom they're mingled in the standings.
Going into Saturday night's schedule, the Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and Philadelphia 76ers have matching 38-32 records, with Miami in the eighth seed. Against the Rockets, the Heat have a chance to keep pace with a win, considering all three Eastern teams play on Saturday night.
Heat will be without two key role players against the Rockets
Miami's matchup in Houston Saturday evening will be its second and final one of the season. The Heat took the first matchup, 115-105, on February 28. Tied with the Hawks and 76ers, the Heat enter this matchup with desperation, thanks to their brutal slide this past week.
The Heat have lost to the Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets, and the Lakers this week, and those losses dropped them from a playoff spot back into the play-in. The Rockets haven't had the greatest week themselves, suffering two consecutive losses to the Lakers, but beating the Hawks in an important bounce-back win Friday night.
The Heat will have a rest advantage over the Rockets, considering Houston will be playing their second of a back-to-back. That said, Miami will continue to miss key pieces to their rotation. Both Andrew Wiggins (knee) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (hip) will remain out, while Pelle Larsson is listed as questionable (foot).
Both Jaquez and Wiggins are day-to-day, but closer to return, according to Erik Spoelstra, which is good news, but it could be better if they were ready immediately. If Larsson is out, it will force Spoelstra to adjust his starting five again, which he has done throughout the season, which may slide Norman Powell back into a starter's role.
The Heat can treat the Rockets like a must-win game, considering where the 76ers and Hawks are in the standings, but more so because they want to avoid a play-in seed. Getting back on track with a win in Houston can kick-start that, otherwise, it's possible come Sunday morning, they'll drop below the eighth seed, and the climb up will only appear higher.