Ways to stop a Zach LaVine repeat as Heat try to get right vs. Kings

It's right back out there on the hardwood for the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, after a rough loss to the Golden State Warriors a night ago.

Erik Spoelstra wasn't interested in dwelling on that loss in his post-game press conference, as it was all eyes on the Sacramento Kings for a potential bounce back.

He noted that first Heat-Kings match-up this season, as the Heat got routed Sacramento at home with Zach LaVine dropping 42 points.

So here's some keys to how the Heat can flip that script tonight:

1. Who to prioritize when defending the Kings?

Jan 18, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) reacts after scoring a basket against the Portland Trail Blazers during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

As I mentioned before, the Heat are going to have to tame Zach LaVine this time around. He was operating against a lot of single coverage, and picking his spots for clean jumpers often back in Miami. But the issue is that this team has another isolation on-ball scorer that can hurt you as well, in DeMar DeRozan. It's a pick your poison battle, as it'll be crucial to switch a ton while helping off the right guys. Coming off a poor defensive performance, the Heat just need to play with scrappy energy to eliminate Sacramento's clean catches.

2. Jaime Jaquez Jr watch.

Feb 26, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) controls the ball against Sacramento Kings guard Chris Duarte (3) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

A lot of things point to a Jaime Jaquez Jr type night. For starters, Sacramento is a place he always plays well, as there's something about Jaquez Jr heading back to the West Coast. Secondly, he's coming his first game back where he scored 10 points on 4 of 12 shooting, while a lot of it was pretty out of control. It's a good bounce back spot against a team he has found success against in the past. That takes us to reason number three, which is flashing back to his 27 point night in the loss to the Kings early this season. When he's able to set an offensive tone, it makes things much easier on everybody else offensively.

3. The interesting shot profile of the opposition.

Dec 6, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (18) shoots around Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The outlet to Miami winning this game is on the defensive end, and it probably isn't as simple as stopping LaVine and DeRozan. The real key is sustaining the shot profile disparity in their favor. The Kings are dead last in the NBA by a mile in three point attempts a night. They're a team that plays inside the arc, which plays into the mid-range shot making of LaVine and DeRozan. But if Miami can build out a shot attempt difference like the game against OKC, or a three point shooting lean like the homestand, it'll be hard to keep up with Miami's offense. The offensive shot chart of the Kings heading in is already known, so the Heat have to be ready to counter it.