Heat at Nets
Entering action Jan. 17, the Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets were separated by 2 1/2 games at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, but the landscape has changed in a dramatic way entering their matchup Friday in New York. The Heat will be looking to extend their stunning 12-game winning streak - which includes a pair of wins over the Nets - while Brooklyn is aiming to snap an 11-game slide and a 13-game losing streak at home.
Miami has four consecutive road victories in the run after picking up a 106-88 triumph at Milwaukee on Wednesday. "I'm not going to talk about the streak," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. "It's more about a group of players coming together to form an identity as a team and embrace each other, embrace a culture, embrace defending with a purpose." Center Hassan Whiteside has been doing everything with a purpose and had 23 points and 16 rebounds versus the Bucks, leaving him with averages of 22.5 points - on 71.4 percent shooting - and 16.8 boards in February. Brooklyn's last six defeats have come by single digits and it took red-hot Washington to overtime before falling 114-110 on Wednesday at home.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Miami), YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE HEAT (23-30): Guard Dion Waiters has been a catalyst during the streak and averaged 22.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the two wins over Brooklyn late last month, but is day-to-day with a sprained ankle that caused him to miss Wednesday's win. Wayne Ellington started in his place and finished with 17 points while making 5-of-8 3-pointers. Ellington tied a season high with 22 points in the 109-106 win at Brooklyn on Jan. 25.
ABOUT THE NETS (9-44): Brooklyn rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to force overtime against Washington and feels that the fight is still there amid the team's second 11-game slide of the season. "Our guys are competing," coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters. "For all of us it'd be great to get a breakthrough. I think we need a breakthrough 'W' to get us over that hump." Center Brook Lopez has recorded at least 20 points in four straight games and in 13 of his last 16, although he was limited to 14 while missing all six of his 3-pointers in an eight-point defeat at Miami on Jan. 30.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Miami has won nine of the past 10 meetings.
2. Nets SF Rondae-Hollis Jefferson averages five rebounds a game but has at least six in his last six outings, including two 11-board efforts.
3. Heat PG Goran Dragic has shot 50 percent or better in a season-high four consecutive games.