Half-time report
After a tough road loss in their last outing, the Heat look much better today on their home court. They took a 59-58 lead against the Thunder.
The Heat came into the game with extra motivation after the loss handed to them the last time these two teams met. We’ll see if they are able to flip the script or if it will just be more of the same.
Who’s playing
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Miami Heat
Current records: Oklahoma City 21-5, Miami 13-11
How to watch
- When: Friday, December 20, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET
- Or: Kaseya Center – Miami, Florida
- TV: Fan Duel SN – Oklahoma
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Online broadcast: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $49.00
What you need to know
The Heat are on a five-game home winning streak, while the Thunder are on a three-game road winning streak: one of those streaks is about to end. The Miami Heat are scheduled to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday at 8 p.m. ET at the Kaseya Center with some extra rest. Coming off a loss in a game the Heat were expected to win, they now face the toughest task of proving themselves against unfavorable odds.
The Heat fought the good fight in their overtime game against the Pistons on Monday, but ended up with a less than desirable result. They were a bucket away from victory and lost 125-124 to Detroit. Miami’s loss marked the end of a four-game winning streak.
Despite the loss, the Heat got a stellar performance from Jimmy Butler, who had a triple-double with 35 points, 19 rebounds and ten assists. Butler struggled to find his footing against the Raptors last Thursday, so this was a step in the right direction.
Meanwhile, while it wasn’t a dominant performance, the Thunder beat the Magic 105-99 on Thursday. The team ran away with 65 points in the first half and mostly relied on those to get the win.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, going 15 of 26 on his way to 35 points plus six assists and four steals. It was his 16th consecutive game with at least 30 points.
Miami’s loss dropped their record to 13-11. As for Oklahoma City, they have performed incredibly well recently as they have won ten of their last 11 matchups, which has resulted in a nice improvement to their 21-5 record this season.
Rebounding will likely be a big factor in this contest: the Heat haven’t given up the ball easily this season, averaging just 11.8 turnovers per game (they’re ranked third in total turnovers per game). However, it’s not like the Thunder (currently ranked first) struggles in this department, as their average is only 11.2. Given these competing forces, it will be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Heat came up short against the Thunder in the teams’ last game in March, losing 107-100. A big factor in the loss was the dominant performance of Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 37 points along with six assists and five rebounds. Back with a vengeance, will the Heat be able to stop him this time? Check CBSSports.com after the game to find out.
Odds
Oklahoma City is a slight favorite with 1.5 points against Miami, according to the latest NBA Odds.
The punters were perfectly in tune with the betting community on this point, as the game opened with a 1.5 point spread and stayed there.
The over/under is 215 points.
See NBA Pick for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Miami has won 7 of its last 10 games against Oklahoma City.
- March 8, 2024 – Oklahoma City 107 vs. Miami 100
- January 10, 2024 – Oklahoma City 128 vs. Miami 120
- January 10, 2023 – Miami 112 vs. Oklahoma City 111
- December 14, 2022 – Miami 110 vs. Oklahoma City 108
- March 18, 2022 – Miami 120 vs. Oklahoma City 108
- November 15, 2021 – Miami 103 vs. Oklahoma City 90
- February 22, 2021 – Miami 108 vs. Oklahoma City 94
- January 4, 2021 – Miami 118 vs. Oklahoma City 90
- August 12, 2020 – Oklahoma City 116 vs. Miami 115
- January 17, 2020 – Miami 115 vs. Oklahoma City 108
