Heat at Warriors
The NBA-best Golden State Warriors can make some franchise history when they host the Miami Heat on Wednesday. The Warriors will be looking for their 15th straight home victory, which would tie the franchise record set by the 1989-90 squad, and eighth in a row overall. The Heat just finished sweeping through Los Angeles but it came at a cost, with Dwyane Wade leaving Tuesday’s 78-75 win over the Lakers due to a hamstring injury.
Golden State has won its last seven games by an average of 20.6 points and became the 19th team in NBA history to reach 30 wins in 35 or fewer games with a 116-105 triumph at Utah on Tuesday. Miami did not show quite that much offensive firepower Tuesday, when Chris Bosh followed up his season-high 34 points against the Clippers with eight points on 4-of-17 shooting against the Lakers. Wade, who missed seven games earlier in the season with a hamstring strain, is day-to-day.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Miami), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)
ABOUT THE HEAT (17-21): Miami could not stop the Warriors at home Nov. 25, allowing them to go off at 57.3 percent from the field as Stephen Curry drained eight 3-pointers in a 114-97 loss. The Heat have found a defensive anchor since then in center Hassan Whiteside, who is averaging 14.6 points on 76.5 percent shooting, 9.8 rebounds and 3.6 blocks in the last five games. Whiteside swatted away five shots in the win over the Lakers while scoring 15 points in 21 minutes off the bench.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (30-5): Golden State swept through a six-game homestand before making the brief trip to Utah and is dominating teams of late thanks to a willingness to share that has the team leading the NBA in assists. The Warriors recorded their NBA-best 14th game of the season with at least 30 assists in Monday’s victory, during which the starting five combined to shoot 65.2 percent from the field and 11-of-19 from 3-point range. Curry leads that charge and posted his third straight game with at least 20 points and 10 assists by putting up 27 and 11 against the Jazz.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Warriors coach Steve Kerr is the only first-year coach in history with 30 wins in 35 games.
2. Miami F Luol Deng is averaging 8.2 points in the last five games – 5.6 below his season average.
3. Golden State G Klay Thompson is 19-of-34 from 3-point range in the last five games.