The Miami Heat will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night in an inter-conference matchup between two of the top contenders in the NBA. The Thunder come into this game at 11-7, which is good for third place in the Western Conference, while the Heat come in at 10-6, which is good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
This is an intriguing matchup not only because both teams are really good but also because they are kind of opposites. Miami comes in as the number two scoring defense in the NBA, while Oklahoma City enters as the number two scoring offense.
The Thunder lost their most recent game on the road against the Atlanta Hawks, but before that they had won four in a row. Kevin Durant missed some time with a hamstring injury but was able to return four games ago and has not missed a beat. In this four-game stretch, the Thunder are 3-1 and Durant has averaged 29 points per game.
While Durant was out, Russell Westbrook was able to help keep the Thunder's heads above water and he is having another terrific season. Westbrook is averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 assists and 7.4 rebounds through 18 games and has added 2.4 steals per game. Westbrook's PER is at 31.9 so far this season, while Durant's is 31.6. To put this in perspective, the record for PER in a season was Wilt Chamberlain with a 31.8.
One of the problems the Thunder have had so far this season is the fact that Westbrook and Durant have been carrying the offense. They need a third guy to step up, like Serge Ibaka, but it hasn't happened consistently yet.
Like the Thunder, the Heat have been playing well of late like, as they have won seven of their last 10, but they too are coming off a loss. Dwyane Wade leads the team in scoring at 18 points per game, but his shooting percentages are way down and the Heat are looking for him to be more efficient moving forward. Wade did score 30 points in Monday night's loss, though, so maybe better days are coming.
The two best players for Miami so far this season have been Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside. Bosh is averaging 17.7 points and 9.1 rebounds through 16 games, and he is also the team's best three-point shooter, as he is making them at a 37 percent clip so far this season. Whiteside leads the team in PER with a 26.0, and he is averaging 13.5 points, 11.2 rebounds and a whopping 4.7 blocks per game.
Of note in this game is that Luol Deng is doubtful to play as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury that has cost him the last three games. Amare Stoudemire is listed as questionable for the game, as he is on a rest program while the Thunder have no injuries to report.
The Thunder swept the series with the Heat last season and were able to hold Wade to just 30 points combined in the two meetings. The Heat will look for a small measure of revenge on Thursday night in what should be a very good game.
The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. Eastern time. To watch the live broadcast go here. For the Miami Heat radio broadcast go here, and for the Thunder radio broadcast go here.
