Heat Look To Keep Pace In East As Nets Arrive In Miami
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – The Miami Heat have been playing solid basketball since the All-Star break and are trying to keep pace in a tightly packed playoff race.
The Heat look to continue taking advantage of a four-game stretch against sub-.500 teams in their quest for third place in the Eastern Conference as they host the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.
The Heat knocked off Orlando 108-97 on Friday for their third win in four contests and start a Western trip against the struggling Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento later in the week.
Center Hassan Whiteside has been a force with four straight and 10 double-doubles in the last 11 games for Miami, which stands in fifth place -- one game behind Atlanta for third in the East.
Whiteside will get a challenge inside against Brooklyn's leading scorer Brook Lopez (20.8), who is averaging 24.7 points over the last three games – two of them victories.
The Nets won't be an easy out for the Heat after surprising East-leading Cleveland and playoff-candidate Indiana in their last two encounters while averaging 112 points – more than 13 above their average.
Miami has won eight of the last nine meetings, but Brooklyn won the last battle in Miami 111-105 on Dec. 28.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), FSN Sun (Miami)
ABOUT THE NETS (21-51): Brooklyn held Cleveland to 43.8 percent shooting and connected on 54.5 from the field against Indiana in the 120-110 triumph on Saturday, outrebounding the two teams by 18 combined.
Lopez is the main threat, but Bojan Bogdanovic has averaged 23.2 points over the past six contests and fellow guard Sean Kilpatrick (13.2 points overall) is 24-for-42 from the field his last four outings.
Forward Thaddeus Young (15 points, team-high 9.1 rebounds) is averaging just 8.7 points the last three as the Nets begin a four-game trip.
ABOUT THE HEAT (42-30): Leading scorer Chris Bosh (19.1) is on the road to recovery from blood clots and could return to a team that can make a run in the postseason with Whiteside (13.9 points, team-best 11.8 rebounds) raising his game to a new level.
Veteran Dwyane Wade (19 points) has already played four games more than last season and is teaming well with Goran Dragic (13.8 points, team-high 5.9 assists) in the backcourt.
Rookie Justise Winslow, who turned 20 on Saturday, is averaging 12 points in two games against the Nets.
BUZZER BEATERS
- Heat G Joe Johnson, who was bought out by the Nets in February, is 15 points behind Eddie Johnson (19,202) for 48th on the NBA's all-time list.
- Brooklyn signed C Henry Sims (4.8 points, 3.5 rebounds) to a second 10-day contract on Sunday.
- Miami F Luol Deng is averaging six points – half of his average – and has made just 6-of-23 from the field the last three games.
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