Heat at Pelicans
The Miami Heat showed some fight with a win on Friday and are hoping to use that momentum to continue their climb up the Eastern Conference. The Heat will look to put together their fourth win in the last five games when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. Miami is going to need to find a way to stop Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis, who is enjoying the best stretch of his young career with seven straight outings of 28 or more points.
Davis went over 30 for the fourth time in his last five with 34 points and 11 rebounds in a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday and New Orleans has won two of three. LeBron James is searching for a similar high level of consistency but returned from a one-game absence due to back spasms and was held to 15 points in Friday’s 91-86 triumph. The Heat are three games behind the Indiana Pacers for the top spot in the East and are hoping to get a little closer before a trip to Indiana next week.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Miami), FSN New Orleans
ABOUT THE HEAT (47-20): Miami is just 1-4 in its last five road games, including a 101-96 setback at lowly Boston on Wednesday when James was on the bench. The Heat, who went through a stretch of five losses in six games earlier this month, are pulling out of their funk and leaned on Ray Allen down the stretch on Friday before James chipped in a key bucket in the final minute. The big three of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh combined for just 40 points on 16-of-40 shooting against the Grizzlies, and Bosh has totaled 17 points on 7-of-26 from the floor in the last two contests.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (28-40): Davis could need to carry New Orleans even more if Eric Gordon, who left Friday’s game in the first quarter with a knee injury, can’t go on Saturday. Davis is averaging 34.8 points on 59.8 percent shooting to go along with 12.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in his last four contests and got some help off the bench with a season-high 11 points from Luke Babbitt on Friday. “We went to a different lineup and we got some space so guys had driving lanes,” Babbitt told reporter. “... We just continue to fight. We’re a young team. We’re trying to put the pieces together.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Miami has taken five straight in the series, including a 107-88 triumph at home on Jan. 7.
2. New Orleans G/F Tyreke Evans is averaging 20.3 points on 58.2 percent shooting in the last four games.
3. Allen is averaging 18.6 points in the last five games after putting up an average of eight in the first seven games of the month.