LA Clippers vs. Miami Heat: Preview, How to Watch and Betting Info

The LA Clippers look to bounce back from a tough loss when they take on the equally short-handed Miami Heat on Thursday night.

Author:
Garrett Chorpenning
Publish date:
Jan 28, 2021 11:54 AM EST

After winning seven consecutive games, the LA Clippers had their win streak snapped at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks earlier this week. Now, they'll look to bounce back when they take on the Miami Heat on Thursday night.

It will be an uphill battle for LA, as the team is still without Patrick Beverley, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. There's no official timetable for their return, either. Beverley is nursing a right knee injury and didn't join the team for the road trip, and George and Leonard had to stay back in Los Angeles as they go through health and safety protocols.

Fortunately for the Clippers, Miami isn't at full strength either. The Heat were down six players for Wednesday's contest with the Denver Nuggets, including Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro. There's a chance they'll get a few of their injured players back tonight, but Butler remains unlikely to play against LA.

As for the Clippers, expect them to rely heavily on Reggie Jackson, Serge Ibaka and Luke Kennard for offensive production in the absence of their two stars. The trio combined to score 48 of LA's 99 points on Tuesday night, and with the exception of Jackson, none were particularly efficient. Miami's defense is nowhere near as stout as Atlanta's, though, so this could serve as a good opportunity for guys like Kennard to get back on track.

In any case, the Clippers will need a full 48 minutes of effort to pick up what could be their 14th win of the season.