It’s a battle of the streaks!
After Wednesday night’s heartbreaker, the Miami Heat host the Houston Rockets on Friday night for a chance to bounce back and get their first win in 18 days.
Unfortunately, they’ll be trying to do it against a team with the second-best record in the Western Conference and has won eight games in a row.
Both streaks could end, or both could continue. Here’s what to know for Friday night’s tilt.
How to watch Heat vs Rockets
Time: 8 pm ET
Location: Kaseya Center, Miami
TV: FanDuel Sports Network, NBA TV
Stream: NBA League Pass, Fubo
Notable injuries
Andrew Wiggins is probable after missing the last two games with a leg injury. Josh Christopher, Isaiah Stevens and Keshad Johnson are away from the team on G League assignment.
The Rockets are expected to be mostly healthy. Amen Thompson is listed as probable with a left ankle sprain.
Quick scout
The Rockets, owners of the league’s fourth-best defense, are dialed in on that end. They contest every shot, shut the water off in transition and limit second-chance run opponents off the 3-point line.
They are also the league’s top offensive-rebounding team and lead the league in second-chance points.
Key matchups
Bam Adebayo vs Rockets bigs: Between Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams, the Rockets always have an elite rebounder on the floor. Bam Adebayo leads the league in box outs. Immovable object vs unstoppable force. This will be a key battleground.
Also, Kel’el Ware is going to have to chip in, and Miami’s wings will need to block out Houston’s perimeter players crashing the glass.
Jalen Green vs Heat defense: There’s a direct relationship between Houston’s win streak and Jalen Green’s shot-making. He arrives in Miami having scored 26, 30, 28, 23 and 29 points in his last five games. Recently, Erik Spoelstra has opted to bring Davion Mitchell and Haywood Highsmith off the bench. We’ll see if he adjusts his starting lineup on Friday night.
Tyler Herro vs Amen Thompson: The Rockets are elite at getting over screens and forcing shooters to dribble into the paint. Herro has developed some nice counters – floaters, pump fakes, etc – but Thompson will make that stuff difficult. Still, Herro just scored 29 points against his twin, Ausar, on Wednesday night.
Betting
The Rockets are 4.5-point favorites in Miami.