The Thunder looks to continue building momentum as they travel to Miami to take on the Heat.
The Thunder is back in action on Wednesday night for the first game of a back-to-back, which starts in Miami against the Heat and finishes in Oklahoma City against the Trail Blazers. This could be a key two-game swing if the Thunder is able to come away with two straight victories.
Over recent history, the Heat has played the Thunder incredibly tough, always forcing the Thunder out of rhythm and making the games much more sluggish than the Thunder would like.
It’ll be interesting if the game goes similarly this season.
Injury Report
Thunder:
Davis Bertans, OUT (Illness)
This is the first matchup between the Thunder and Heat this season, though they won’t see each other again for two months.
Ousmane Dieng, OUT (G League)
Keyontae Johnson, OUT (G League)
Olivier Sarr, OUT (Illness)
Heat:
Jimmy Butler, OUT (Toe)
Dru Smith, OUT (Knee)
The Thunder has another illness leaving another player out. Davis Bertans missed the Thunder’s last game with illness, and now Olivier Sarr is out for the same very reason. Other than that, it’s just G League guys as the Thunder remain clear of injuries.
The Heat being without Jimmy Butler and potentially Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin is incredibly impactful on this game. Butler is the star player capable of playing to the level of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a matchup, and both Lowry and Martin are rotational impact players.
Still, the Heat always know how to play the Thunder close and well no matter who they roll out on the court.
This game has sluggish written all over it. Again, Erik Spoelstra, who recently signed an extension in Miami, coaches this matchup incredibly well. The Heat are shorthanded, so the Thunder should be able to take a lead and eventually win, but not without the Heat making it more than interesting.
The Thunder is a 4.5-point favorite, which is where the line opened up.
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