Los Angeles Clippers vs Miami Heat 1/28/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Los Angeles Clippers vs Miami Heat Matchup Preview (1/28/22)

The Los Angeles Clippers will travel to face the red-hot Miami Heat on Friday night. The Clippers are a mediocre 8-10 since Paul George went down with an elbow injury in late December. In their last two games though, they have gained momentum with back to back wins against the Washington Wizards and Orlando Magic. The Clippers mounted a historic 35-point comeback against the Wizards which was capped off with a Luke Kennard 4-point play. Against the Magic, Amir Coffey stole the show with an all-around performance of 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Off the bench, Luke Kennard and Eric Bledsoe combined for 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Clippers will look to extend their winning streak against a tough Heat team. Marcus Morris, the 3rd leading scorer on the Clippers, is a game time decision, while Paul George continues to remain out for an extensive amount of time. If Morris cannot play, Terance Mann would likely get the start again. 

The Heat have won 8 of their last 10 games and currently hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Like the Clippers, the Heat have won their previous two games. They defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 113-107 and the New York Knicks 110-96. In the Knicks game, the Heat saw four players score 20+ points – Butler, Robinson, Herro, Tucker. It was only the second 20-point game of the season for defensive specialist PJ Tucker, and he accomplished the feat in only 22 minutes. Although Adebayo was not a factor scoring wise, he filled the box score with 8 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, and a block. Adebayo is one of the best defenders in the league, so he will always be able to contribute to winning no matter whether his shot falls or not. The injury bug continues to plague the Heat. Jimmy Butler is a game time decision, while Kyle Lowry and Markieff Morris are expected to be out. Max Strus, Caleb Martin, and Gabe Vincent will likely see a larger role because of this.

Los Angeles Clippers vs Miami Heat Betting Odds

The Clippers and Heat squared off once before, and that was a close 112-109 Clippers victory on November 11th. Adebayo paced the Heat with 30 points and 11 rebounds, while Lowry and Herro combined for 48 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. On the Clippers side, Paul George was the leading scorer with 27. Reggie Jackson and Eric Bledsoe combined for 43 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Jimmy Butler did not play in that game, while Paul George did, so the dynamic is completely different. In this matchup, I like the Heat to win by at least 10 points if Butler plays. If Butler does not play, then I would expect a slightly closer game and predict the Heat to win by 6-8 points. The Heat are playing excellent basketball and will be reluctant to surrender their throne at the top of the East. The Bulls are only 0.5 games back of the Heat, so they cannot rest on their laurels in the slightest. Plus, the Heat elevate their play at home. Look for the game to be close at the half until a Heat run carves out a solid lead that they do not relinquish. 

TV Schedule

Date: 1/28/22
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Arena: FTX Arena – Miami, FL
Channel: NBA League Pass

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Los Angeles Clippers Starting Lineup

PG: Reggie Jackson
SG: Terance Mann
SF: Amir Coffey
PF: Nicolas Batum
C: Ivica Zubac

Los Angeles Clippers Analysis

Without Kawhi or George, the Clippers are filled with good role players, but lack alpha scorers. Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris can produce, but they are out of their depth as number one options on a playoff team. Therefore, it takes a team effort to keep pace when they face star-filled teams. The Clippers bench has stepped up to take on the challenge, especially Luke Kennard. He is a sharpshooter with a career 41.9 3PT%, but his game has expanded in recent years. Because of his stroke, Kennard is a dangerous transition threat who hustles down the court for an open three. His ball handling and decision making in the pick and roll has improved to the point where he is not a stationary shooter waiting for the ball on the perimeter. 

After elevating his conditioning post-COVID, Kennard has produced 18.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 3.3 APG in the past three games. On the season, Kennard is shredding the net with a 43.9 3PT%. The spacing he provides allows players like Reggie Jackson and Eric Bledsoe to penetrate the paint with ease. Ivica Zubac gets more space to work with in the post since defenders cannot sag off of Kennard to help. Kennard will look to stay hot against a Heat defense that is 14th in spot up defense (1.00 Points Per Possession allowed) and 17th in transition defense (1.11 Points Per Possession allowed). Although Kennard’s play will be important, the Clippers also need Jackson, Bledsoe, Zubac, Mann, and Batum to produce at the level they are capable of. In order to defeat the Heat, the Clippers must get contributions from all over the roster.

Miami Heat Starting Lineup

PG: Gabe Vincent
SG: Duncan Robinson
SF: Jimmy Butler
PF: PJ Tucker
C: Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat Analysis

The Heat have their own sharpshooter that has caught fire recently, and his name is Duncan Robinson. His three point shot on the season (36.6%) is still down compared to his 42.7 3PT% from the last two seasons combined, but Robinson has rattled off impressive performances recently. In his last three games, he has scored 19, 25, and 25 points. The Heat went 2-1 during that span with a close 110-108 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Bam Adebayo and Butler are poor perimeter shooters who prefer to work in the paint, so having Robinson waiting to launch a three creates tremendous space. Robinson is prone to being streaky, but he is the type of player to make 4 threes in two minutes when his shooting is on.

When the Heat run the pick and roll with Butler and Adebayo, how can opponents get a stop when Robinson, Herro (39 3PT%), and Tucker (46.9 3PT%) are ready to swish a three? The Heat have one of the most devastating possible lineups in the NBA with Herro, Robinson, Butler, Tucker, and Adebayo. And that does not even include 6x All Star Kyle Lowry! The Heat have a wealth of weapons both offensively and defensively, along with Erik Spoelstra, a top five coach. The Heat currently are +1,400 to win the NBA title which seems like decent value for a team that checks every necessary box for a championship.

Los Angeles Clippers vs Miami Heat Daily Fantasy Picks

I am riding the Duncan Robinson wave in this one. Even if Butler plays, Robinson will get plenty of shots in this matchup. He is coming off a game where he shot 9/13 from the field and 7/11 from deep, and I actually expect him to nearly replicate that performance. Look for him to break 20 points with 5+ threes made. If there is anything to take away from streaky shooters, it is to always ride the hot hand. Another player I like in this matchup is Reggie Jackson. After scoring 99 points in four games, Jackson has posted consecutive duds with 4 points and 9 points. The shots were there, but he had bad shooting nights. I like Jackson to show up against the Heat and bounce back in a big way. He seemingly has a tendency to play up to competition, so look for Jackson to break 20 points.