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The LA Lakers host the Miami Heat at Staples Center on Wednesday for a rematch of the 2020 NBA Finals. The Lakers have been underwhelming to begin the season, whereas the Heat have pleasantly surprised the NBA with their dominance so far.
Match Details
Fixture - Miami Heat vs LA Lakers | NBA Season 2021-22.
Date & Time - Wednesday, November 10th, 2021; 10:00 PM ET (Thursday, November 11th; 8:30 AM IST).
Venue - Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA.
Miami Heat Preview
The Miami Heat have been incredible to begin the season. They have seamlessly integrated Kyle Lowry into their system and there have been no chemistry issues to begin the season.
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Head coach Erik Spoelstra has deployed incredible strategies on both ends of the floor. The Heat are fourth in offensive rating and fifth in defensive rating in the NBA this season.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler is gaining early MVP traction with his spectacular outings. He leads the team in points (24.7) and steals (2.3) and is second-highest in assists (5.2), rebounds (6.1) and blocks (0.3).
Butler is also third-highest in the NBA in steals and is 12th in points per game. Additionally, he is third in the NBA in PER (Player Efficiency Rating) and is leading the NBA in Win Shares and Offensive Win Shares.
While their performances have done most of the talking, an altercation during the Miami Heat's last game against the Denver Nuggets certainly turned headlines. The incident saw Nikola Jokic shove Markieff Morris in the back during the final few minutes of regulation. Morris hard-fouled Jokic and the reigning MVP responded with a cheap shot of his own.
The Heat canceled their postgame press conference and coach Spoelstra called the play "dangerous, dirty" and also said it was "uncalled for." Markieff Morris will undergo testing before the game against the LA Lakers.
Key Player - Tyler Herro
We know Jimmy Butler is the Miami Heat's best player and he will do his usual things but Tyler Herro is one of the reasons why the team is winning games. He runs the second unit and is making a strong case for this year's Sixth Man of the Year award. The Miami Heat are 10th in the league in bench production and Herro is partly responsible for that.
Tyler Herro is averaging career-high numbers in all three main categories with 20.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He is the team's second-highest scorer and he is doing so while shooting 40% from beyond the arc on seven attempts per game.
Miami Heat Predicted Lineup
G - Kyle Lowry | G - Duncan Robinson | F - Jimmy Butler | F - PJ Tucker | C - Bam Adebayo.
LA Lakers Preview
The LA Lakers were the favorites to win the Western Conference before the season began, but their stock is steadily declining. They are 6-5 through their first 11 games and have shown no rhythm or chemistry to begin the season.
Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis haven't been able to carry this team forward comfortably so far and LeBron James' absence has been catastrophic. According to Tim DiFrancesco, the LA Lakers' former head of strength and conditioning, LeBron James is set to miss roughly 4-8 weeks because of his injury.
The LA Lakers are coming off a close victory against the Charlotte Hornets and practically every game they've played has gone down to the wire. They had one of the easiest schedules in the league to begin the season and they blew several opportunities to win games down the stretch.
Westbrook's turnovers have turned into a nightmare while Davis' injury issues constantly linger over the team.
The LA Lakers have blown several double-digit leads this season and coach Frank Vogel has the entire rotation haywire. Due to the plethora of injuries on their roster, the coaching staff has had to deploy the weirdest of lineups at times.
To make matters worse for their title credentials, they blew a double-digit lead to the rebuilding OKC Thunder, the youngest team in the NBA, twice in one week.
Key Player - Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis needs to be the best player on the floor for the LA Lakers to win games. He is their best option on both ends of the floor and he can certainly lead the team to wins alongside Russell Westbrook.
However, Davis' free-throw and three-point shooting have been a major concern. From shooting 33% from downtown and 85% from the charity stripe in 2019-20, he is now down to 12% from three-point range and 73% from the line.
LA Lakers Predicted Lineup
G - Russell Westbrook | G - Avery Bradley | F - Kent Bazemore | F - Anthony Davis | C - DeAndre Jordan.
Heat vs Lakers Match Prediction
The Miami Heat are favorites to win this game because the LA Lakers are dealing with injuries. The latter has eight players on their injury report, including LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Rajon Rondo. However, Davis is expected to play, and he could cause enough trouble for the Miami Heat alongside Westbrook. The Heat certainly won't have anything easy during the game.
The Miami Heat also have their fair share of injury issues but their starters, excluding Bam Adebayo, are all ready to play.
Where to watch the Heat vs Lakers game?
The marquee matchup between the Miami Heat and LA Lakers will be nationally televised on ESPN and also broadcast locally on Spectrum SportsNet and Bally Sports Sun. The game can be live streamed with an NBA League Pass as well.
Moreover, fans can tune in to the radio at ESPN LA 710/KWKW (S) and WAXY 790 / WAQI 710 to listen to the match's live commentary.
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