The Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets had a solid rivalry going last season. Brooklyn was the only team in the league to sweep Miami during the regular season. However, things took a different turn when the Heat and Nets met in the Eastern Conference playoffs where Miami got the best Brooklyn in the series. With both squads now missing two key players from their 2013-14 rosters, will the game have the same intensity?
The Miami Heat's play could be dictated by how Chris Bosh looks. The center was the team's No. 1 scorer at the start of the year, but has cooled off in recent games as the Heat risk reaching a four-game losing streak, their longest in three years. Bosh started the season averaging 23.6 points on 48.6 percent shooting as Miami went 5-2 in that stretch. However, during the three-game slide, Bosh is averaging 13.0 points and 5.0 rebounds. The center started off having the best numbers of his career, but his slide has resulted in a slide for Miami and Bosh needs to find his shot quickly.
The Heat are at risk of losing four games straight which would be their longest streak since losing five in a row back in 2011. Along with struggling Bosh, Miami has been without Dwyane Wade who sat out the last two games with hamstring issues. He is ruled day-to-day, but could return against Brooklyn. Wade is currently shooting 56.7 percent overall in the past six games so he could easily make up for the struggles of Bosh.
Brooklyn is returning home after a three-game losing streak in their Western Conference road trip. Most recently the team fell to the Portland Trailblazers. The team only averaged 96.7 points in the three games despite averaging 8.0 points more in the past six games. On Saturday, the Nets were 1 for 19 from beyond the arc which was a franchise-worse. Against the Warriors, the went 3-of-16 from the 3-point line. Joe Johnson is the only player producing at the moment for Brooklyn something that will not fly against Miami.
