Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Miami Heat: Preview, Predictions and Stats

Just 24 hours after facing the Orlando Magic, the Oklahoma City Thunder (21-5) will complete their back-to-back in Florida in the Miami Heat pavilion (13-11) who are back in action after three days of rest.

Thunder vs. Heat date and time

Data: December 20th.

Tempo: These are the start times for the Thunder vs. Heat depending on time zone.

headquarters: Kaseya Center (Miami, Florida)

Thunder quintets vs. Heat

Chet Holmgren and Josh Richardson will repeat as the primary victims of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat, respectively. On the part of Mark Daigneault's team, Jaylin Williams was classified as questionableso he could play his first match of the course. For the Heat, Nikola Jovic and Pelle Larsson are also doubtful for this match.

Latest news for the Thunder: injuries and form

Few teams have more mileage under their belts this December than the Oklahoma City Thunder, who will play their third game in four days today, all in different cities. After losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in Las Vegas on Tuesday in the NBA Cup final, they headed to Orlando to face the Magic, who they beat less than 24 hours ago thanks to defense and 35 points from Shai Gilgeous Alexander.

Now the Thunder will continue their journey through the state of Florida, stopping in Miami, where some Miami Heat await them with three days of rest after losing on Monday in overtime against the Detroit Pistons. However, coach Mark Daigneault praised his team's approach to this unusual journey. “We try to approach it as a challenge,” the Thunder coach said after the victory in Orlando. “The approach of our players has been impressive, of a high level, from the previous training sessions, to the way we prepare and start the match.”

The Thunder lead the Western Conference with a record of 21-5 and are three games ahead of the second-place Memphis Grizzlies. With autopilot engaged and enough automation to complete the task regular season Without problems, the team will have to focus their attention on two aspects: recovering Chet Holmgren and correcting those small goalscoring crises they have suffered in recent games. Against Milwaukee they made just five 3-pointers in 32 attempts and against the Magic they went nearly six minutes without making a field goal in the third quarter.

Player to Watch: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

In yesterday's preview we highlighted Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a player to keep an eye on given the need for a strong response after his decent game against the Bucks. and the guardia He did not falter in the face of Orlando's strong defense: he led the victory with 35 points and confirmed his great mental strength as a team leader. Once the first hurdle has been overcome, some Heat are very adept at making defensive adjustments to neutralize their rival's top scorer. Will Shai break the 30 point barrier again?

Heat final minute: injuries and form

The Miami Heat will try to take advantage of the visit of the best record in the Western Conference to return to winning ways. They lost in overtime to the Detroit Pistons on Monday, marking the end of a four-game winning streak.

Jimmy Butler posted his first triple-double of the season with 35 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists. He and Tyler Herro, who scored 23 points, led a 19-point comeback in the fourth quarter before dying on the brink of overtime. «We missed another opportunity. “We felt like we were going in the right direction,” Bam Adebayo lamented after the game.

Given the scarcity of points from the second unit, the Heat's defense and a greater commitment to outside shooting are becoming stronger in this first stretch of the journey. In fact, up to seven players are above 36% accuracy on 3-pointers, with Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro as the primary threats. Of course, the Thunder's defense will demand a lot more from them today.

Player to watch: Bam Adebayo

The center sacrifices goals in favor of greater responsibility in creating play and distributing the ball. His role against the Thunder will be crucial if they want to get the victory. On the one hand he will have to influence his colorful opponent, where only Isaiah Hartenstein emerges as a real obstacle to his physical power. On the other hand, he will have to make quick decisions so that the ball gets to the shooters before Dort, Caruso, Wallace and co are already in the lead. And of course, provide plenty of defense.

Thunder vs. Heat: Matchup History

The Miami Heat They have won six of the last eight meetings against Oklahoma City. Obviously the Thunder won both games played last season, which confirms the recent trend of both teams within the league. Him head to head The historian also smiles at the Thunder for 42 wins out of 30.

Prediction for Thunder vs. Heat

Defend the perimeter. The Heat They are one of the most dangerous teams from long range this season. They record a success rate of 37.9% on 39.0 attempts per night, seventh best in the NBA. As we said before, they have seven or eight players who are more than capable of arming themselves and scoring with ease. For its part, no other team allows less outside success to its rival than the Thunder: They barely manage to hit 33.1% of the three-pointers they throw at them. This therefore presents a great challenge for both teams.

Leave in a hurry. The Thunder arrive at the Kaseya Center tired after three games in four days, all away. They will still have to engage sixth gear and press the accelerator right from the start. This season they outscore their rivals by 18.6 points for every hundred first-quarter possessions. For their part, the Heat Usually come out more sleepy: your Net Rating is negative (-8.2) in the first twelve minutes. It will be very interesting to see which of the two teams will impose their own pace: the Thunder will try to open an opening from the start, while Miami will focus on gradual attrition.

Blackboards and balance on the pitch. Bam Adebayo will catalyze much of the Heat's offense. This means that he will have to read the game well to know when to attack the paint and when to look for the shooter. Jimmy Butler, a very intelligent low post player, will also help him. If Erik Spoelstra's roster works, Mark Daigneault will have to be very careful about defensive helps and changes to not allow serious mismatches that would make it easier for Miami to score.

Where to watch Thunder vs. Heat

The game between Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat can be seen in Spain through the NBA League Pass Subscription.

(Cover photo by Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images)