Luka Doncic's return adds to parade of stars Miami Heat encounter on West swing

Miami’s already tough road three-game Western swing got much more complicated on Friday when Lakers star Luka Doncic was cleared to return from a finger sprain and leg contusion. Barring a setback in Memphis, the versatile playmaker will be in the mix when the Heat take the floor at Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Sunday.

The Lakers still won’t see LeBron James (sciatica) until mid-month at the earliest, but survived Doncic’s three-game absence due to the unexpected brilliance of Austin Reaves. On paper, given that the Spurs were unbeaten and Denver’s altitude adds another obstacle against the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets, the prospect of playing L.A. without its future Hall of Famers looked like the best chance to notch a win on this trip.

The Heat have yet to face Doncic since he was traded to the Lakers in a stunning trade in February, and missed him altogether last season. In 2023-24, Doncic averaged 32 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Miami as the Mavericks swept the series with late-season wins in March and April.

The Heat last defeated a Doncic-led team on April 1, 2023, surviving a 42-point outburst on 17-for-25 shooting, his highest-scoring performance against them. Doncic took a 46-point scoring average into Memphis on Friday, while Reaves had gaudy averages of 34.2 points and 10 assists through his first five games.

The Lakers defeated Miami in last season’s only matchup at Staples 117-108 on Jan. 16, rallying from a 12-point halftime deficit and overcoming Tyler Herro’s seven 3-pointers. Jimmy Butler, still a member of the Heat, was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.

If nothing else, the Heat are in a more stable place as they return to downtown L.A. over nine months later although they’ll remain without Herro following offseason ankle surgery.

Even though both early losses have come on the road, the Heat have been solid outside South Florida to start the season, continuing a recent trend. Following a loss in Orlando in the opener, Miami blew out Memphis, scoring an NBA-high 146 points, and held a fourth-quarter lead in San Antonio on Thursday. Victor Wembanyama finished with 27 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and five blocks to lead the Spurs to a 107-101 win.

Although 2024-25 was mostly disappointing, Erik Spoelstra continued to get results in opposing arenas, finishing 18-23. While it doesn’t sound like much, that’s just one game off the Heat’s mark at home, and was followed by a pair of road conquests in Chicago and Atlanta in the play-in round. Miami became the first No. 10 seed to qualify for the playoffs as a result.

The Heat are a healthy 102-96 on the road over the past five regular seasons, a substantial turnaround given that they had a losing record every season after James returned to Cleveland prior to the start of 2014-15.

The Heat’s chances against the Lakers would get a boost if L.A. native Norman Powell is able to return to action in his hometown for Sunday’s game after missing the Spurs loss due to a groin strain. Miami has two days between games prior to facing both the Lakers and Nuggets (Nov. 5) after playing every other day this season.

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