Halftime Report
After a tough loss on the road their last time out, the Heat look much better today on their home court. They have jumped out to a 59-58 lead against the Thunder.
The Heat came into the match with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Miami Heat
Current Records: Oklahoma City 21-5, Miami 13-11
How To Watch
- When: Friday, December 20, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Kaseya Center — Miami, Florida
- TV: Fan Duel SN – Oklahoma
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $49.00
What to Know
The Heat are on a five-game streak of home wins, while the Thunder are on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Miami Heat are set to face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday at Kaseya Center with a little bit of extra rest. Coming off a loss in a game the Heat were expected to win, they now face the more daunting task of proving themselves against unfavorable odds.
The Heat fought the good fight in their overtime game against the Pistons on Monday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 125-124 to Detroit. Miami’s defeat signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.
Despite the loss, the Heat got top-tier performance from Jimmy Butler, who dropped a triple-double on 35 points, 19 rebounds, and ten assists. Butler had some trouble finding his footing against the Raptors last Thursday, so this was a step in the right direction.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn’t a dominant performance, the Thunder beat the Magic 105-99 on Thursday. The team ran away with 65 points in the first half and mostly just sat on those to pick up the victory.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, going 15 for 26 en route to 35 points plus six assists and four steals. The match was his 16th in a row with at least 30 points.
Miami’s defeat dropped their record down to 13-11. As for Oklahoma City, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they’ve won ten of their last 11 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 21-5 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: The Heat haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 11.8 turnovers per game (they’re ranked third in turnovers per game overall). However, it’s not like the Thunder (currently ranked first) struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 11.2. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Heat came up short against the Thunder when the teams last played back in March, falling 107-100. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 37 points along with six assists and five rebounds. Back with a vengeance, will the Heat be able to stop him this time around? Check CBSSports.com after the match to find out.
Odds
Oklahoma City is a slight 1.5-point favorite against Miami, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 1.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 215 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Miami has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Oklahoma City.
- Mar 08, 2024 – Oklahoma City 107 vs. Miami 100
- Jan 10, 2024 – Oklahoma City 128 vs. Miami 120
- Jan 10, 2023 – Miami 112 vs. Oklahoma City 111
- Dec 14, 2022 – Miami 110 vs. Oklahoma City 108
- Mar 18, 2022 – Miami 120 vs. Oklahoma City 108
- Nov 15, 2021 – Miami 103 vs. Oklahoma City 90
- Feb 22, 2021 – Miami 108 vs. Oklahoma City 94
- Jan 04, 2021 – Miami 118 vs. Oklahoma City 90
- Aug 12, 2020 – Oklahoma City 116 vs. Miami 115
- Jan 17, 2020 – Miami 115 vs. Oklahoma City 108
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