Miami Heat At Los Angeles Clippers Preview

The Heat are beginning a five-game, West Coast road trip, their longest of the season. It is the last trip before the NBA All-Star break ... The Heat (34-15) are No. 4 in the Eastern Conference behind the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics ... Jimmy Butler ranks sixth in the league with 78 steals ... Earlier this week, guard Kendrick Nunn won the conference Rookie of the Month for a third straight time. He is the only undrafted player to win the award on multiple occasions ... This is the second meeting between the teams. The Clippers won 122-117 when they met in Miami Jan. 24 ... Forward Duncan Robinson, who will compete in the 3-point contest during NBA All-Star Weekend, has made multiple 3-pointers in a franchise-record 19 straight games ... The Heat are coming off a 137-106 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. They won the season series 3-1 and hold the tiebreaker should the teams finish even at the end of the season ... Because of injuries, the Heat recalled forwards KZ Okpala and Kyle Alexander and guard Gabe Vincent from their G League affiliate in Sioux Falls. Okpala is the team's 2019 second-round pick while Alexander and Vincent were undrafted ... Guard Tyler Herro (foot), center Meyers Leonard (ankle) and Justise Winslow (back) will not play ... At 35-15, the Clippers hold the second-best record in the Western Conference. They 21-5 at home this season ... Kawhi Leonard is averaging 27.4 points (seventh in the NBA) and 7.6 rebounds ... Paul George, who did not play in the first meeting, is at 22.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists a game.

Game time: 10 p.m.

TV: Fox Sports Florida

Line: Clippers -7

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