Portland Trail Blazers vs Miami Heat Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers are visiting Miami to face the Heat, kicking off a five-game road trip. The Blazers come off a victory against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in their previous game. Meanwhile, the Heat are on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Charlotte Hornets to start their Emirates NBA Cup schedule.
Game Details
- Date and Time: Saturday, November 8, 5:00 PM Pacific
- Teams: Portland Trail Blazers (5-3) vs. Miami Heat (5-4)
How to Watch and Listen
- TV: Rip City Television Network
- Streaming: BlazerVision (Oregon and Washington); League Pass (everywhere else)
- Audio: Trail Blazers Audio Network
Injury Reports
- Trail Blazers: Scoot Henderson, Damian Lillard, Matisse Thybulle, Blake Wesley (Out); Shaedon Sharpe (Probable)
- Heat: Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, Terry Rozier (Out); Jaime Jaquez (Questionable); Norman Powell (Probable)
Game Analysis
The Trail Blazers rank third in the NBA for pace, while the Heat lead the league. This matchup between two of the fastest-paced teams promises an exciting game driven by speed and transition play. Portland and Miami rank first and sixth, respectively, in steals per game, which could lead to many scoring opportunities off turnovers.
Portland struggles with shooting efficiency, connecting on only 44.6% of field goals and 33.8% from beyond the arc, but compensates by securing an average of 13 rebounds per game.
"The Trail Blazers are currently third in the NBA in pace, but the Heat sit in first place."
"Portland and Miami also sit first and sixth respectively in steals per game."
Author's summary: A fast-paced battle is expected as Portland and Miami, two of the NBA's quickest teams with strong defensive pressure, face off despite several key injuries.