Heat at Nets
The Miami Heat just got back from a tough road trip only to fall flat in their first game home and are now dealing with some crushing injuries. The Heat and their depleted roster with try to coax a third win in the last nine games when they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. The Nets, who fell to Miami in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals last spring, took advantage of two of the worst teams in the East to put together back-to-back wins.
The Heat will be without Chris Bosh (calf) and Josh McRoberts (knee) on Tuesday, and Dwyane Wade (illness) also sat out practice on Monday. “Injuries are a part of this game -- how you respond to adversities, to things that are tough, that's what reveals your collective character as a group,” Miami coach Eric Spoelstra told reporters. “I told the guys there will be brighter days. It always usually evens out at the end.” Brooklyn dominated from long range in a 114-87 win at Charlotte on Saturday, knocking down 16-of-23 from beyond the arc.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Miami), YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE HEAT (11-13): Miami is 2-6 in December and will be without Bosh indefinitely while McRoberts could miss the rest of the season after a meniscus tear was revealed on an MRI exam on Monday. Neither forward was available on Sunday and the Heat shot 35 percent from the floor while getting run over by the Chicago Bulls 93-75. “It just seems to be a dark cloud over everything right now,” Bosh told reporters. “You have to find a way to deal with the tough times right now, find out a way to keep everybody mentally stimulated around here. I'm going to make sure I do what's necessary to get back.”
ABOUT THE NETS (10-12): Brooklyn is without its own big piece in center Brook Lopez, who sat out the last four games and expects to miss at least three more with a lower back strain. “It’s frustrating, but you just got to keep going,” Lopez said. “I want to be out there for my teammates, so I’ve got to keep working to get better and obviously play it safe and make sure I’m healed for good so I can be there for my teammates.” With Lopez out the Nets spread the floor with shooters on Saturday and watched as Joe Johnson (4-of-6), Deron Williams (3-of-4), Bojan Bogdanovic (4-of-5) and Alan Anderson (4-of-5) each got hot from beyond the arc.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. G Mario Chalmers scored 22 points to lead the Heat to a 95-83 win at the Nets on Nov. 17.
2. Brooklyn C Mason Plumlee posted back-to-back double-doubles while starting in place of Lopez.
3. Miami F Luol Deng is averaging 15.8 points on 56.4 percent shooting in the last five games.