As two struggling teams meet in Miami, the Lakers look to earn a well-needed road victory against the Heat.
Remember when this match-up used to be must-see TV for two of the NBA’s perennial contenders? Sadly, that was more than a few years ago and both of these franchises are further away from contending than they would like to admit. However, with the Lakers at 11-20 and the Heat at 9-20, it’s safe to say both sides are missing a few pieces.
While injuries and lack of top-tier talent has hurt both teams, they both have promising young cores they are looking to build upon. For the Lakers, they are excited with the flashes they have seen from Brandon Ingram and the growth from D’Angelo Russell among their other draft picks. Meanwhile, the Heat are still dealing with the hangover of the “Big-3” era, but have the likes of Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Johnson to help them look to the future.
In addition to their rebuilding efforts, both teams will be reminded of another part of their shared history Thursday night as Shaquille O’Neal will be in attendance for the Heat to retire his No. 32 jersey. O’Neal, who helped the Heat win their first NBA title in 2006, is also pretty familiar with Los Angeles, after leading the Lakers to 3 consecutive championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002 along with Kobe Bryant. O’Neal will also be honored by the Lakers on March 24th when they will unveil a 9-foot statue outside Staples Centers alongside other Lakers legends.
After all the fanfare for O’Neal, L.A. will look to rebound with a win tonight on the road. Here’s where you can check out the action:
Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat
Date: Thursday, Dec. 22
Start Time: 5:00 p.m. PST
Location: Miami, FL
Arena: AmericanAirlines Arena
TV Info: TNT
Live Stream: NBA League Pass
Radio: Here
Injury Report
Los Angeles Lakers: Tarik Black – Ankle (Out), Julius Randle – Personal (Out), Jose Calderon – Calf (Out), Larry Nance Jr. – Knee (Out)
Miami Heat: Wayne Ellington – Hamstring (Out), Dion Waiters – Groin (Out), Rodney McGruder – Ankle(Out)
Prediction
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The last few weeks have not been kind to either team and wins have been hard to come by. Usually, in these situations, I would give the benefit of the doubt to the home team, but I’m rolling with the Lakers tonight. Crazy, I know, but hear me out.
No matter their record, the Lakers have proved they can score. For Miami, scoring has been tough to find. Whether due to injuries or simply a lack of leadership, the Heat are not what they have been in years past. The Lakers may have one of the most porous defenses in the league, but they can certainly run and gun with the best of them when they are on and I think that will benefit them tonight.
This is definitely not the Heat’s Big 3 against Kobe’s Lakers, but if you tune in, you might just see some good basketball from two rebuilding franchises looking to work their way back to the NBA’s elite. And for both team’s sake, let’s hope for no more injuries.
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