Lakers at Heat
LeBron James even has his teammates thinking he’s from another planet with how strong his game has been of late. The Los Angeles Lakers, who visit James and the Miami Heat on Sunday afternoon, are hoping for a rare off day from the superstar forward. James needed only 11 field goal attempts to reach 30 points in a rout of the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday and is shooting 76.7 percent over the last three games. The Lakers are coming off a victory.
Los Angeles got Dwight Howard (shoulder) back on Thursday but it did not do much good in a rout at Boston. But the All-Star center settled in a little better in Friday’s win at Charlotte and pulled down 11 rebounds in 38 minutes. The Heat don’t have anyone to match up against a healthy Howard, but they do have James. The Lakers will likely run some combination of Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Earl Clark and Antawn Jamison at James on Sunday.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE LAKERS (24-27): Los Angeles has won four of its last five games but has only faced one playoff-caliber team in that stretch and failed miserably in a 116-95 loss at the Celtics. With Pau Gasol out at least a month after suffering a foot injury earlier in the road trip, Howard’s return from a torn labrum has become a topic of much debate surrounding the team. Howard will require surgery at some point and is playing through pain while the team is shorthanded. Bryant went scoreless in the first half at Charlotte on Friday before finishing with 20 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in the 100-93 triumph. Bryant, who has become more of a distributor as the Lakers have started to improve, did not record an assist in the loss at Boston.
ABOUT THE HEAT (33-14): James has improved his game so much that even fellow All-Stars are amazed. “He’s off the planet right now,” Dwyane Wade told reporters of James. “He’s not even the best basketball player on the planet, he’s surpassed the planet.” James went 9-for-11 in the 111-89 win over the Clippers, helping his team to a convincing win despite Chris Bosh and Ray Allen sitting out due to illness. James put on a similar shooting display at the Lakers on Jan. 17, going 17-for-25 from floor en route to a season-high 39 points in a 99-90 victory. Wade added 27 points in that victory and is battling his way through the illness taking over the Heat locker room. Wade has put up at least 20 points in each of the last four games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Heat have taken five of the last six meetings.
2. Howard, who spent the previous eight seasons with the Orlando Magic in the Southeast Division, has averaged 17 points and 13.4 rebounds in his career against Miami.
3. Sunday marks the last stop on Los Angeles’ seven-game Grammy-inspired road trip.