The Miami Heat have lost four straight games, including a Monday night disappointment against the bottom-dwelling Charlotte Hornets.
Now, they have a chance to get a much-needed win against the LA Clippers, who arrive in Miami on the second night of a back-to-back on the road and will be without their star player.
Here’s what to know for Wednesday night’s tilt.
How to watch Heat vs Clippers
Time: 8 pm ET
Location: Kaseya Center, Miami
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Stream: NBA League Pass, Fubo
Notable injuries
The Miami Heat are nearly whole. Alec Burks (lower back strain) is questionable, but everyone else not dealing with longterm injuries is expected to be available.
The Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard (injury management), Norman Powell (hamstring) and Ben Simmons (injury management).
Key matchups
James Harden has done quite a bit of heavy lifting for the Clippers this season. His shooting percentages are down but he’s still a genius point guard who steadies the offense and passes his teammates open.
But the key matchup for this game will be on the other end, where the Clippers employ a pair a strong defenders in Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. Dunn will likely get the Tyler Herro assignment. Dunn is among the best perimeter defenders in the league and will make Herro’s life difficult. That could put more of the scoring load on Bam Adebayo, who has been handling that well lately. But Ivica Zubac is a brick wall and won’t give any quarter to Adebayo.
While LA’s defense has a strong backbone, this game will likely come down to whether the Clippers can score enough points to keep up.
Betting
The Heat are 2.5-point favorites in Miami.