In a match-up between two of the NBA's premier teams, the two-time defending champion Miami Heat are making their final preparations before a Wednesday night showdown with the Los Angeles Clippers. Miami took the first of two regular season meetings between the 2013 playoff teams 102-97 back in November thanks to a brilliant performance by Dwyane Wade. Knocking down 13 of 22 shots for a game-high 29 points, Wade -- who also dished out 7 assists and grabbed 4 rebounds in the win -- helped the Heat (34-13) overcome a halftime deficit en route to the team's fourth win of the season.
Despite dropping five-consecutive games to the Clippers (34-17) at the Staples Center, Heat star and four-time NBA MVP LeBron James said recently that as long as his team continues to make the necessary plays on both ends of the floor, they'll be able to win each game they enter. “As long as we don't turn the ball over and we rebound, or at least keep it close, we have a great chance of winning every game,” the two-time defending champion said. “We know that we are going to shoot the ball, we're going to share the ball and we're going to defend.”
While Miami enters the upcoming contest off a victory -- 102-96 over the Detroit Pistons -- Los Angeles hopes to rebound from a tough 106-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Despite 36 points and 11 rebounds from Blake Griffin, the Clippers were not able to contain the energy of the Nuggets. Allowing 17 offensive rebounds in the loss that converted to 24 points, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said his biggest concern ahead of the showdown with Miami is his teams' ability to play consistent defense and rebound effectively.
“Fortunately, we're good enough offensively," Rivers said. "But later in the season and playoffs that's not going to work. You're just not going to roll it out and outscore everybody. You're going to have to get stops. You're going to have to get stops in a row and it has to be consistent. And for us to be an elite team, we have to do that. We can be a good team the way we're playing. But if you want to be elite, you have to have something, a standard defensively. That's what we have to set. We're working on it and I think our guys want to do it. We just have to do a better job of it.”
Los Angeles will certainly need to be on point defensively Wednesday night against a Miami team that is averaging over 104 points per game this season while dishing out 23.4 assists. If not, it could be another tough night for Doc Rivers and company.
Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Clippers: DATE, TIME & VIEWING INFO
DATE: Wednesday, Feb. 5
TIME: 10:30 p.m., ET
TV COVERAGE: ESPN
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE
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