Through 3 Quarters
Down five at the end of last quarter, the Miami Heat have now snagged the lead. Three quarters in and their offense has really been able to impose its will, dominating the New Orleans Pelicans 81-70 three quarters in.
Miami has been riding high on the performance of small forward Jimmy Butler, who has 29 points and six assists in addition to eight rebounds. One thing to keep an eye out for is P.J. Tucker’s foul situation as he currently sits at five.
Small forward Josh Hart (14 points), shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (13 points), and small forward Brandon Ingram (12 points) have been the top scorers for New Orleans. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has picked up four fouls, though.
the Pelicans have lost 100% of the time when they were down heading into the fourth quarter this year, so this one seems just about wrapped up
Who’s Playing
New Orleans @ Miami
Current Records: New Orleans 2-13; Miami 9-5
What to Know
The Miami Heat will be returning home after a five-game road trip. They will take on the New Orleans Pelicans at 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday at FTX Arena. The Heat will be strutting in after a victory while New Orleans will be stumbling in from a defeat.
It was all tied up 43-43 at the half for Miami and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, but Miami stepped up in the second half for a 103-90 win. Miami’s point guard Tyler Herro filled up the stat sheet, shooting 5-for-8 from beyond the arc and finishing with 26 points, six assists and seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, New Orleans was within striking distance but couldn’t close the gap on Monday as they fell 105-100 to the Washington Wizards. The Pelicans were up 58-41 at the end of the half but couldn’t hold on to the lead. The losing side was boosted by small forward Brandon Ingram, who had 31 points in addition to five boards.
The Heat are the favorite in this one, with an expected 6.5-point margin of victory. They are currently three-for-three against the spread in their most recent games, a trend bettors might want to take into account.
Miami’s win brought them up to 9-5 while New Orleans’ loss pulled them down to 2-13. A couple defensive numbers to keep in mind before tip-off: Miami have been holding their opponents to a field goal percentage of 42.60%, which places them third in the league. On the other end of the spectrum, New Orleans has allowed their opponents to shoot 47.30% from the floor on average, which is the second highest shooting percentage allowed in the league. So the cards are definitely stacked against the Pelicans.
How To Watch
- When: Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: FTX Arena — Miami, Florida
- TV: Bally Sports – New Orleans
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $13.00
Odds
The Heat are a solid 6.5-point favorite against the Pelicans, according to the latest NBA odds.
Bettors have moved against the Heat slightly, as the game opened with the Heat as an 8.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -112
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Series History
Miami have won eight out of their last 12 games against New Orleans.
- Mar 04, 2021 – Miami 103 vs. New Orleans 93
- Dec 25, 2020 – Miami 111 vs. New Orleans 98
- Mar 06, 2020 – New Orleans 110 vs. Miami 104
- Nov 16, 2019 – Miami 109 vs. New Orleans 94
- Dec 16, 2018 – Miami 102 vs. New Orleans 96
- Nov 30, 2018 – Miami 106 vs. New Orleans 101
- Feb 23, 2018 – New Orleans 124 vs. Miami 123
- Dec 23, 2017 – New Orleans 109 vs. Miami 94
- Mar 15, 2017 – Miami 120 vs. New Orleans 112
- Dec 23, 2016 – New Orleans 91 vs. Miami 87
- Mar 22, 2016 – Miami 113 vs. New Orleans 99
- Dec 25, 2015 – Miami 94 vs. New Orleans 88
Injury Report for Miami
- Kyle Lowry: Out (Rest)
- Bam Adebayo: Out (Knee)
- Markieff Morris: Out (Neck)
- Victor Oladipo: Out (Quadriceps)
Injury Report for New Orleans
- Daulton Hommes: Out (Leg)
- Zion Williamson: Out (Foot)
