It’s been an odd start to the NBA season, and the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat — who meet Friday night in Texas — are two prime examples.
The Heat got blasted 144-97 by the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday – the most points Miami has ever allowed in a home game. Milwaukee set an NBA record with 29 3-point baskets.
Yet, the Heat beat that same Bucks team 24 hours later, 119-108. That’s a 58-point turnaround.
“You want to develop some grit and toughness, and our guys responded,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We had a different level of competitiveness.”
Meanwhile, the Mavericks routed the Los Angeles Clippers 124-73 on Sunday. Dallas’ 77-27 halftime lead was the largest in the NBA’s shot-clock era, which began in 1954-55.
Yet, three nights later, the Mavericks were humbled by the visiting Charlotte Hornets, 118-99.
Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who is from Slovenia, should be motivated to defeat the Heat. Doncic is 0-4 against the Heat and their Slovenian star, Goran Dragic.
In fact, the Heat have beaten Dallas six straight times in the battle between these rivals.
Miami and Dallas have history. The Heat won their first-ever NBA title by beating the Mavericks in the 2006 Finals. Then, in 2011, the Mavericks won their only NBA title by beating the Heat.
On Friday, the connections between the teams will be even stronger as Dallas boasts two former Heat players in Josh Richardson and James Johnson. In addition, Tim Hardaway Jr. is a Miami native and the son of a legendary Heat guard.
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Hardaway, who is averaging 14.5 points, and Richardson (13.5 points) are both Mavericks starters. However, Richardson has been slowed by a calf injury and scored just four points on 1-for-10 shooting on Wednesday against the Hornets.
Doncic leads the Mavs in scoring (23.8), rebounding (5.8) and assists (6.3). However, he was held to 12 points, five assists and two rebounds by Charlotte. He also missed all five of his three-point shots.
“It’s clear Luka doesn’t have his rhythm yet,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said.
The Mavericks won’t be at full strength until the return of star big man Kristaps Porzingis, who is out due to an August knee injury and went through his first full workout on Tuesday. He is expected to return at some point in January.
Center Bam Adebayo leads the Heat in scoring (19.0) and rebounding (7.3) while also dishing 5.0 assists per game.
The Heat have played the past two games without forward Jimmy Butler, who leads the team in assists (6.0) but is out due to a sprained right ankle. If Butler remains out, Adebayo, who is 6-9 and 255 pounds, could be asked to guard Dallas’ best player, Doncic (6-7, 230). Butler, also 6-7 and 230 pounds and a four-time selection to the NBA’s All-Defense second team, would be a natural to try to contain Doncic.
However, Adebayo is getting these tough assignments more and more, including Tuesday and Wednesday, when he battled Milwaukee two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“Bam knows how important he is to us,” Spoelstra said, “on both ends of the court.”
–Field Level Media
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