Dallas Mavericks vs Miami Heat 2/15/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Dallas Mavericks vs Miami Heat Matchup Preview (2/15/22)

The Dallas Mavericks (33-24) travel to take on the Miami Heat (37-20) Tuesday night in FTX Arena. The Mavericks are 6-4 over their last ten games; in that span, they are 10th in Offensive Rating and 10th in Defensive Rating. Luka Doncic was just named Player of the Week in the Western Conference for averaging 43.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 8.3 APG across three games. However, the Mavericks enter this contest on a low note as they lost 99-97 to the Clippers. Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, and Terance Mann all scored over 20 points and propelled the Clippers to a win. Luka Doncic’s heroic performance came up short; he scored the Mavericks’ last 19 points in the game to lead a comeback, but he missed a tough game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer. Jalen Brunson produced 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Reggie Bullock chipped in 17 points on 5/10 from deep. Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans are set to make their Mavericks debut. It is a huge boost for the Mavericks since their bench has been unproductive. Against the Clippers, the bench managed to only contribute 4 points even though they saw a total of 54 minutes. Trey Burke is a game-time decision, and Marquese Chriss is expected to be out. Josh Green will likely see a decrease in minutes due to Dinwiddie’s arrival. 

The Heat are 7-3 over their last ten games and currently hold a 5-game winning streak. In that ten-game span, the Heat are 4th in Defensive Rating, but 16th in Offensive Rating. They are coming off a 115-111 victory over the Nets on Saturday. The Heat entered the 4th quarter up 15 points, yet they let the Nets catch up and almost steal the game. The production was extremely balanced across the board. Seven players scored 10+ points, and the scoring for all nine players who saw minutes ranged from 8 points to 19 points. Bam Adebayo exploited Blake Griffin to the tune of 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists on 8/12 shooting. Duncan Robinson found his shot, going for 17 points on 5/8 from three. Kyrie Irving (29 points) and Cam Thomas (20 points) almost completed the comeback for the Nets, but they ended up short in the end. For this matchup against the Mavericks, Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin are game-time decisions. Tyler Herro and Markieff Morris are out in this one. Without Herro, the Heat will rely on Gabe Vincent and Max Strus to command the bench unit.

Dallas Mavericks vs Miami Heat Betting Odds

In their previous matchup on November 2nd, the Heat won 125-110 because of their big four. Lowry (22 points), Herro (25), Butler (23), and Adebayo (22) were too much for the Mavericks to handle. Luka racked up 33 points on 10/24 from the field, and Brunson scored 25 points on an efficient 76 FG%. As a team, the Heat prevailed through their scorching shooting; they shot 43/83 (51.8%) from the field and 13/25 (52%) from three. Jimmy Butler’s health is the biggest X factor in this matchup. If he is good to go, then I like the Heat to win a close one. If he is not, I like the Mavericks to barely squeak out a win over the short-handed Heat. Butler’s impact on both the offensive (21.7 PPG, 6.0 APG) and defensive (1.8 SPG) end is a driving force behind the Heat’s success.

TV Schedule

Date: 2/15/22
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Arena: FTX Arena – Miami, FL
Channel: NBA League Pass

Live Stream Dallas Mavericks vs Miami Heat Free Online: Watch Every NBA Game

You can stream this game online for free. You can get a free 7-day trial and live stream NBA games from any device. Click the banner below and start watching.

Dallas Mavericks Starting Lineup

PG: Luka Doncic
SG: Jalen Brunson
SF: Reggie Bullock
PF: Dorian Finney-Smith
C: Dwight Powell

Dallas Mavericks Analysis

As a team, the offense relies heavily on the pick and roll. It’s a great game plan because Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson are hyper-efficient at running it. Their spot up offense ranks 19th in the NBA because of poor three point shooting (33.9 3PT%). Off-season addition Reggie Bullock’s recent stretch though has opened up the court and provided space for Luka’s devastating drives. In his last ten games, Bullock is making 3.9 threes per game on a 45.9% clip. The extra space allows more space for Dwight Powell to set the pick for Luka and roll towards the basket for a quality look. Powell’s been tremendous as the roll man, but also as a cutter. 70% of his shots come from within three feet of the basket, and he is shooting 76.5% in that area. 

Unfortunately for Luka and Powell, they will face perhaps the toughest defensive duo in the pick and roll across the whole NBA – Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Butler’s size and quick hands will cause a few turnovers, and Adebayo can shut down the big man while also switching on the perimeter. This reality is the reason why Butler is essential for this particular matchup; stopping the pick and roll halts the Mavericks offense. Without him, the Heat may be forced to move PJ Tucker onto Luka and take their chances hiding Duncan Robinson on Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent on Reggie Bullock. Asking Robinson to guard Luka is essentially giving Luka a runway to drop 40+ points.

Miami Heat Starting Lineup

PG: Kyle Lowry
SG: Duncan Robinson
SF: Jimmy Butler
PF: PJ Tucker
C: Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat Analysis

The Heat are 1st in the NBA in spot up offense (1.12 Points Per Possession) thanks to their multitude of snipers. It makes guarding the Heat a Herculean task – try defending a Butler and Adebayo pick and roll while also sticking to three perimeter shooters waiting to launch a three. The Mavericks are tied-18th defending spot up offense, but 3rd at defending the roll man. Herro is out, so their main worry is stopping Duncan Robinson from catching fire and continuing his recent streak. Over his last three games, Robinson is shooting 40.7 3PT% and canning 3.7 threes per game. Besides Robinson, the Mavericks cannot leave PJ Tucker open; he is leading the league in 3PT% at 45.8%. 89.5% of Tucker’s threes come from the corner, which will keep one Maverick out of the way. He’s not a scorer by nature, but he has cleared 10 points in 20 of his 50 games.  

Spencer Dinwiddie’s debut is potentially a terrible sign for the Heat. Newly traded players making their debut tend to play extremely well or poorly. I am leaning towards the former; Dinwiddie will want to prove himself after being ousted from Washington. Gabe Vincent (9.4 PPG) and Max Strus (11.0 PPG) must match his production and give the Heat the bench advantage. Dinwiddie thrives as the pick and roll ball handler, so it is encouraging that Vincent and Strus have shown promise defending it this year. 

Dallas Mavericks vs Miami Heat Daily Fantasy Picks

I like Luka Doncic, Bam Adebayo, and Duncan Robinson in this one. Luka is a must, as he has scored 96 points in his last two games. Butler’s presence would be detrimental, but detrimental for Luka means 33 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists on an inefficient night. Continue to roll with Luka. With Butler questionable, Adebayo has the opportunity to be the featured piece in the Heat offense. Even if Butler plays though, Adebayo should see a plethora of shots and convert them at a high clip. Adebayo will get second chance points also since Powell won’t be able to fend him off of the glass. Robinson is always a risky play, but the upside is there. WIth Herro out, Robinson may see even more shot attempts from deep. With a shooter as accurate as Robinson, even a slight increase in opportunity usually leads to a big spike in points.