As the last few days of bubble regular-season games commence, we’ll see the Heat and Thunder battling in Orlando, FL this evening.
For Miami, they’ll be looking to build off an impressive win against the Pacers, who they will meet again on Friday. Their goal is going to be to stay hot ahead of their TJ Warren rematch. They held him in check last time, but now they have to do deal with Chris Paul.
They finally got Jimmy Butler back in their last game, and he promptly showed them exactly what they were missing with his absence. A strong two-way player that can take over the game when you need him to. This is a deep Heat team with loads of talent.
For OKC, it will likely be about establishing the normal rotation guys, missing most of them against the Suns. They will not be overthinking their recent loss, but more on this game ahead. They didn’t try too hard to win it, falling behind big and never bringing in the big guns.
The playoff streak continues for them this year.
ODDS:
The Thunder are two-point favorites for tonight’s game.
Miami Looking to Keep it Rolling
This is a very dangerous Heat team, though if they make it out of round one, they likely have a date with the Milwaukee Bucks. Given how deep their team is, maybe they believe they can pull the monumental upset. They do have two All-Stars leading the roster, with so much else to brag about too.
They’ve got the best outside shooter in the league in Duncan Robinson, and other snipers in Kelly Olynyk and Tyler Herro. They are well-coached and disciplined, and no guys are ever trying to do too much with it. And the veteran presence of Andre Iguodala will pay dividends ahead of the critical games.
They don’t lack in experience, and so they won’t ever back down. The Thunder will serve as a great tune-up game ahead of their Friday matchup, and potentially playoff series with the Indiana Pacers.
OKC Trying to Thunder Up
A win is just what this team needs to get the confidence back for OKC. The end of their bench is not nearly as good as that of many other bubble teams. But on the bright side, Dennis Schroder is finally back in Orlando and will be ready to go for the postseason. He is going to be a welcome addition.
Chris Paul has been a perfect leader for this team all season, the other guards following suit with strong play. Danilo Gallinari has looked as good this year as he ever has. And they’ve found some good young pieces for the future, too.
And the return of Andre Roberson has to be providing some sort of a lift. He missed nearly 2.5 years of games before finally returning, healthy.
OKC Wins a Close One
Miami will fall tonight and shift their focus towards Indy. A good win for CP3 and co.
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