Miami Heat-New Orleans Pelicans Preview: Can Heat Come Out Hot After All-Star Break?
The Miami Heat (30-25) open the second half of the season on the road Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans (34-22).
Both teams enter on hot streaks, with the Heat winning six of their last eight and the Pelicans eight of nine.
The Heat (eighth seed in East) and Pelicans (fifth seed in West) are both on the bubble of the play-in tournament, further increasing the importance of every remaining game.
Previous Matchups
Friday night is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.
Last season the Heat won both games against the Pelicans, winning 124-98 in Game 1 and 100-96 in Game 2.
Bam Adebayo averaged 22 points during the series, shooting 66.7 percent. He led the charge in Game 1 with 26 points and eight rebounds. In Game 2, Tyler Herro tallied 26 points and eight rebounds as well.
The Pelicans were missing Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson in both matchups.
CJ McCollum scored a team-high 21 points in Game 1 and Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 17 points in Game 2.
Opposing Players to Watch
The trio of Ingram, McCollum and Williamson lead the way for the Pelicans.
Ingram averages 21.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting 49.0 percent and 36.2 percent from three. The former All-Star missed Thursday’s 127-105 win over the Houston Rockets but is expected to play on Friday night.
Williamson is a dominant presence. The 6-foot-6, 284-pound former All-Star averages 22.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists on 58.5 percent shooting (13th best in NBA). The high-flying forward is also a stout defender, owning an above average 114.8 defensive rating. The 23-year-old has eight 30-point games this season.
McCollum is the veteran of the group, averaging 19.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists. The 32-year-old is shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 42.1 from three. McCollum has scored 28 and 26 points in his last two games.
Key Matchup
Zion Williamson vs. Bam Adebayo
Williamson, one of the NBA's biggest freak athletes, matches up against Adebayo, one of the NBA’s best defenders.
The Pelicans star enters Friday following a 27-point, nine-assist game in Thursday’s win against the Rockets.
Adebayo is exceptional on both ends of the floor. The 2024 All-Star averages 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists, while shooting 51.0 percent. The Heat big man boasts an elite 109.9 defensive rating (11th best in NBA) and averages 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks.
Nick Crandell is a staff contributor at Inside the Heat.
He can be reached at nick.crandell33@gmail.com or follow him on Instagram @nickcrandell
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