OKC Thunder vs Miami Heat Predicted Starting Lineups and Depth Chart for Dec. 20

The OKC Thunder will play the second leg of a back-to-back when they face the Miami Heat on Friday. The Thunder lead the West with a 21-5 record, while the Heat are sixth in the East with a 13-11 record.

OKC got over its Emirates NBA Cup final heartbreak with a 105-99 win over the Orlando Magic on Thursday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 35 points, while Isaiah Hartenstein had a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Miami last played Monday and lost 125-124 in overtime to the Detroit Pistons. The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler’s triple-double of 35 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists.

The OKC Thunder vs Miami Heat game is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. EST from Kaseya Center. The game will also be broadcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network - Sun and FanDuel Sports Network - Oklahoma. Fans can also stream it live on NBA League Pass and fuboTV.

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OKC Thunder vs Miami Heat: Injury Reports

OKC Thunder injury report for Dec. 20

The Thunder continue to be without Chet Holmgren (right iliac hip fracture), Nikola Topic (ACL), Adam Flagler (right fourth metacarpal fracture), Alex Ducas (back) and Jaylin Williams (hamstring).

Miami Heat injury report for Dec. 20

Miami’s injury report listed Nikola Jovic (ankle) and Pelle Larsson (ankle) as questionable, while Josh Richardson is doubtful with a heel issue.

Here’s a look at the Thunder vs Heat starting lineups and depth charts for Dec. 20.

OKC Thunder vs Miami Heat: Starting lineups and depth chart

OKC Thunder starting lineup and depth chart

Position	Starter	2nd	3rd
PG	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	Ajay Mitchell	Cason Wallace
SG	Cason Wallace	Isaiah Joe	Luguentz Dort
SF	Luguentz Dort	Alex Caruso	Aaron Wiggins
PF	Jalen Williams	Aaron Wiggins	Kenrich Williams
C	Isaiah Hartenstein	Kenrich Williams	Ousmane Dieng

Miami Heat starting lineup and depth chart

Position	Starter	2nd	3rd
PG	Tyler Herro	Dru Smith	Terry Rozier
SG	Duncan Robinson	Terry Rozier	Alec Burks
SF	Jimmy Butler	Jaime Jaquez Jr.	Haywood Highsmith
PF	Haywood Highsmith	Jaime Jaquez Jr.	Jimmy Butler
C	Bam Adebayo	Kevin Love	Kel'el Ware

OKC Thunder vs Miami Heat: Key players

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The OKC guard has taken his play to the next level this season and is among the leading probables to win the MVP. He averages 30.5 points, 6.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Other than the NBA Cup final, where he scored 21 points, SGA has scored 30 or more points in the past five regular-season games.

Fans can expect him to show that form against Miami as well. If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander goes off for another high-scoring game, OKC could extend its winning streak to seven.

Jimmy Butler

While Butler’s name continues to be thrown around in trade talks, he continues to focus on winning. Before Monday’s loss, Miami was on a four-game win streak and most of it had to do with Butler. He averages 19.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals in 19 games this season.

While Butler will have his work cut out against the exceptional Thunder, it's tough to bet against a motivated Butler who is arguably seeking to make a point after not being offered a max extension in the offseason.

About the author

Rajdeep Barman is a U.S. Sports Editor at Sportskeeda and occasionally writes about basketball. He studied journalism at Mizzou, and prior to working at Sportskeeda, he spent 2.5 years at the Columbia Missourian in the U.S.

He worked as an Assistant Sports Editor and helped cover Mizzou Athletics and local high school sports. There, he formed close professional and personal bonds with The Denver Post's Bennett Durando, OKC Thunder beat writer Joel Lorenzi and Alabama beat writer Nick Kelly.

Rajdeep's interest in the NBA stems from his love for the Golden State Warriors and his appreciation of the team's distinctive playing style, heavily influenced by coach Steve Kerr's inspiration from Barcelona's Tiki-Taka. For Rajdeep, basketball is a platform that fosters community and brings people together.

Rajdeep stays in constant touch with some of the best beat writers in the NBA, which helps him learn and stay closer to the news. Being trained in the AP Handbook, he ensures highest levels of relevance, accuracy and ethics in his content.

When not working for Sportskeeda, he likes to travel, take quizzes and spend time with his partner.

Know More

Miami Heat Nation! You can check out the latest Miami Heat Schedule and dive into the Heat Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

Edited by John Maxwell

OKC Thunder vs Miami Heat Predicted Starting Lineups and Depth Chart for Dec. 20 | 2024-25 NBA season