Entering the season as two-time defending champions, the Miami Heat knew they'd play an 82-game regular season with a massive target on their backs since every team in the league was aiming to take them down. Expected to once again compete at a high level since LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were back to help the franchise claim its fourth championship in history, Miami is off to another strong start and they've been particularly good at the friendly confines of AmericanAirlines Arena.
Winners in three of their last four, the Heat (17-6) hope to earn another home victory when they host the struggling Utah Jazz Monday night in Miami. With a tough schedule on the horizon against teams including the Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trailblazers and Golden State Warriors, Miami knows a win over Utah would be the perfect way to enter the tough slate with added momentum. The health of Dwyane Wade, who continues to battle knee soreness, will be crucial to the success of the team as well.
"He's been great," LeBron James said of Wade. "He's been dealing with his knee, we all know that. It's not a secret. But when he's on the floor he makes an impact." Miami has dropped four of their last six against the Jazz (6-20) and having a player such as Dwyane Wade, who is averaging over 18 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists per game this season, will certainly be crucial to any success the team hopes to have.
While Miami hopes to continue their strong start along with improving their luck against Utah, the Jazz are looking for anything positive. Though past good fortune over a talented Miami team has been nice, Utah is solely focused on getting back on track after dropping five of their last seven.
Gordon Hayward leads the team in points with over 17 per game while six other players are averaging double figures but the offense simply hasn't been enough. Utah will look to correct recent woes with another challenging task in Miami.
Miami Heat vs. Utah Jazz: DATE, TIME & VIEWING INFO
DATE: Monday, December 16
TIME: 7:30pm, ET
TV COVERAGE: SUN Sports Network (Miami) / Root Sports (Utah)
LIVE STREAM: Available through NBA League Pass
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