A Miami Heat marathon in Portland, plus leaning into hot hands in the rotation

The Miami Heat continue this string of late starts on Thursday night, as the road trip continues with a 10 pm tip-off in Portland against the Trail Blazers.

Tyler Herro remains out for this one, while Kel'el Ware's status is still undetermined as he's listed as questionable after missing the last game against the Sacramento Kings.

After beating the 14 seed in the Western Conference, this Blazers match-up is a definite upgrade, as they currently sit in the play-in spots with a .500 record at 22-22.

They are scrappy, can score in bunches, and Miami needs to be ready to take care of business.

So let's get into how Miami can do just that:

1. Running on the road trip.

Nov 8, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) looks to pass the ball as Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) defends in the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

There were many factors why the Heat handled the Kings on Tuesday night: the defense was stellar and the shooting popped. But the main reason was the style Miami played, as they were running up and down that floor both off turnovers and straight up misses. Against a lot of these type of teams, the key is to prioritize fastbreak hoops. The Heat put up 136 points in the first match-up with Portland, and they didn't even shoot all that great. There are gaps to attack in this Blazers defense, and Miami has to take advantage. Pelle Larsson, Jaime Jaquez Jr, Davion Mitchell: we're looking at you.

2. Two top-five Blazers offensive stats to watch out for.

Nov 8, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) passes the ball as Miami Heat guard Pelle Larsson (9) defends during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Coming into that previous Kings game, the defensive game-plan was clear: this team doesn't shoot many threes, you have to pinch in the mid-range, and it's going to be a lot of half-court hoops. Tonight in Portland, it's the total opposite. The Blazers are top 5 in three point attempts a night, which is always a sign that things can go one of two ways for the Heat defensively. Instead of attacking mid-range shooters like Zach LaVine, the pinch has to come in the paint, as this team attacks the rim a ton on their way to top 3 free throw attempts a night. Those two things combined with a team that turns the ball over most in the association, could mean it could point to a sloppy game that Miami can feed off.

3. Leaning into hot hands.

Jan 20, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Miami Heat guard Pelle Larsson (9) is fouled by Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Over the course of an 82 game season, the back-end of the rotation will shift a lot. Not just the conserve guys or work around injuries, but having different guys peak at different times as some find a random hot hand is a real thing. Pelle Larsson for example has been the ultimate role player and more for the Heat this season, leaving Erik Spoelstra with no other option than starting him. But on that same note, a guy like Simone Fontecchio just has to play right now. Not sure how long he will be a part of the regular rotation, but when a shooter has it going the way he seems to right now, you just have to lean into it. Myron Gardner's impact is another example, as I'd expect continued short stints for him on this road trip.