Oklahoma City Thunder vs Miami Heat: Preview, TV Schedule & Where to Watch
The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to get their momentum back as they visit the Miami Heat on Thursday at the American Airlines Arena. It is the first of two matchups between the two teams this season and their first meeting since March 23.
The Thunder's four-game winning streak was snapped by the Atlanta Hawks last Monday 100-106. Russell Westbrook scored 34 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished seven assists with two steals but had a turnover down the stretch that proved costly in the loss.
Kevin Durant added 25 points, six rebounds and six assists with a steal and four blocks while Serge Ibaka had 17 points and four blocks. However, the OKC bench contributed a season low of 19 points and dropped to 0-6 when the reserves score below 30.
Dion Waiters scored only one point in 30 minutes of actions despite averaging 13.5 per game in the past 11 contests. "These guys are really committed to the game. They're committed to their personal development. They get in the gym and they work," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said during their practice via NBA.com.
Miami lost to the Boston Celtics at home last Monday despite Dwyane Wade scoring 30 points, adding four rebounds, four assists and five steals in the 105-95 loss. Although he was suffering from an illness, Chris Bosh added 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists with a steal and a block.
"We had some stretches where we were able to change the momentum, but, for the most part, those skirmishes, loose balls, they were able to impact those more consistently," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. The Heat are the second-best defensive team in the NBA but they are taking on the second-best offense and they know that they can't shut down Oklahoma City's dynamic duo.
"We're not gonna shut Kevin Durant down, you're not gonna shut Russell Westbrook down, the only thing we can hope for is they have bad shooting nights. t's our job to make sure that we make it as tough as possible, play our defensive concepts and don't give them too many easy baskets and play the way we play," Wade said during practice.
Miami are 9-1 when they give up 96.3 points or lower per game and currently sit fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with a 10-6 record. The Thunder, on the other hand, are 0-5 when they fail to score more than 100 points and has an overall record of 11-7, good for third in the West.
Oklahoma City swept Miami last season, winning the two previous matchups. Tip-off starts at 7:00 p.m. ET. It will be nationally televised on TNT and broadcasted locally on FS Oklahoma HD.
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