The well-rested Miami Heat, led by captain Bam Adebayo, are set to host the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night.
Miami has been off since Monday, while Dallas secured a 123-120 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Adebayo, a three-time All-Star at 27, appears to be struggling in his new role as captain, which he took on after Udonis Haslem retired in the summer of 2023.
Tyler Herro has been Miami’s standout player this season, averaging 24.2 points and 5.2 assists, both team highs. He is shooting 48.6 percent overall and 45.2 percent from three-point range, all career-best numbers for the sixth-year pro.
In contrast, Adebayo’s stats have declined. Last season, he averaged 19.3 points and a career-high 10.4 rebounds, shooting 52.1 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from beyond the arc. This season, he’s averaging 16.3 points and 9.5 rebounds on 42.6 percent shooting (31.3 percent from three-point range).
Jimmy Butler, another key member of Miami’s “Big Three” and a six-time All-Star, is averaging 17.7 points, down from 20.8 last season. Butler did not practice on Saturday and is questionable for Sunday’s game due to an illness, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
While the Heat may be without Butler, the Mavericks will be missing their superstar guard Luka Doncic, who is sidelined with a strained right wrist.
Doncic, a five-time All-Star and reigning NBA scoring champ, leads Dallas with 28.1 points, 7.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.
Despite Doncic’s absence, Dallas has won four straight games after previously losing four in a row. The Mavericks defeated Denver thanks to contributions from seven players scoring in double figures, despite a scoreless night from Klay Thompson (0-for-8 from the floor).
Naji Marshall scored a career-high 26 points off the bench, and Dereck Lively II added 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting with two key blocks in the final two minutes.
Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks’ second-leading scorer with 23.9 points per game, scored 19 points on Friday. The eight-time All-Star is also averaging 5.3 assists, shooting 53.2 percent from the floor and 51.2 percent from three-point range.
Sunday’s game continues a historic rivalry, including two NBA Finals matchups. Miami won its first title by defeating Dallas 4-2 in 2006, while the Mavericks claimed their first championship by beating the Heat in six games in 2011.
