Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Venue: Kaseya Center, Miami, FL
Broadcast: FanDuel Sports Network
The Kaseya Center will host an exciting matchup on Wednesday as the Miami Heat (9-10) face off against the Los Angeles Lakers (12-9).
In their previous outing, the Lakers suffered a significant defeat to the Timberwolves, ending with a score of 109-80. The Lakers accumulated 16 personal fouls, while the Timberwolves had 17. From three-point range, Los Angeles successfully converted 15 out of 35 attempts. Minnesota, on the other hand, boasted an impressive free throw accuracy of 80.0%, making 12 of their 15 attempts. Additionally, the Timberwolves secured 43 rebounds (7 offensive, 36 defensive) alongside 2 blocked shots. They also achieved an impressive 31 assists and 11 steals during the game. On defense, the Lakers struggled, allowing their opponents to shoot 50.6% from the field, hitting 41 of 81 shots. In terms of assists, Los Angeles distributed 19 while forcing 15 turnovers and recording 8 steals. They gathered a total of 39 rebounds, 9 of which were offensive. At the free throw line, the Lakers converted 10 of 14 attempts, resulting in a 71.4% success rate. Their shooting stats concluded with a field goal percentage of 40.5%, making 32 out of 79 attempts and hitting only 6 of 31 three-pointers.
D’Angelo Russell was a standout player in the game, scoring 20 points from 8 of 12 shooting, playing for 34 minutes, and contributing 3 rebounds. He showcased an efficient 66.7% shooting from the field and distributed 5 assists.
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The Lakers enter this game with a season record of 12-9. They average 13.0 turnovers per game, along with committing 16.2 personal fouls. Collectively, Los Angeles secures 40.5 rebounds per game and has tallied 554 assists this season, ranking 12th in the league for assists. They are shooting 34.9% from three-point range (247 of 708) and achieving 78.2% from the free throw line. Their offensive output averages 112.3 points per game (17th in the league) with a shooting percentage of 47.6% from the field.
Defensively, the Lakers force 14.1 turnovers per game and draw 20.8 fouls. They are ranked 28th in the NBA for allowing assists to the opposition, conceding 596 assists this season. The Lakers give up a shooting percentage of 48.2% (903 of 1,873) and allow 43.6 rebounds per contest. They surrender 36.7% for three-point shots and are currently ranked 22nd in the league in points allowed per game, standing at 114.9.
In their recent game, the Heat lost to the Celtics by a score of 108-89. Miami permitted Boston to collect 54 rebounds in total (14 offensive). The Heat shot 34.5% from beyond the arc, landing 19 out of 55 shots, and 11 of 13 from the free throw line (84.6%). The Celtics shot 43.8% from the floor, converting 39 of 89 attempts against Miami’s defense. Overall, the Heat finished with a field goal shooting percentage of 35.6%, making 31 out of 87 shots and hitting 22.9% from three-point land, sinking only 8 of their 35 attempts. They were successful with 19 of 23 free throw attempts, achieving a percentage of 82.6%. The Celtics committed 20 fouls, which helped the Heat get to the line for 23 attempts. Miami lost the ball 10 times and tallied 6 steals in the matchup. They gathered a total of 44 rebounds, with 33 on the defensive end and 11 offensive boards.
Tyler Herro was pivotal for the Heat in this contest. Despite shooting 6 of 19 for a field goal percentage of 31.6%, he managed to secure 5 rebounds and contributed 19 points in 35 minutes of play, alongside 4 assists.
The Heat currently hold a record of 9-10 this season. They average 16.3 personal fouls per game and have a free throw shooting percentage of 77.8%. Miami distributes assists at an average of 25.4 per game (16th in the league) and averages 12.6 turnovers per contest. This season, the Heat have accumulated 2,092 points (110.1 points per game) and average 43.1 rebounds each game. Offensively, Miami is converting 44.0% of their shots from the field, ranking 26th overall in the league.
Defensively, the Miami Heat allow 35.9% on shots from beyond the arc (266 of 740) and have permitted opponents to convert 79.8% of their free throws. They yield 26.5 assists and 46.6 rebounds on average, ranking 20th and 28th in the NBA respectively. The Heat rank 8th in points allowed per game at 109.8 and force 15.7 turnovers on average, while allowing teams to shoot 46.4% from the field (16th in basketball).
Free Prediction: Take Miami (-2.0)
