Surging Heat feature stout defense
The Rockets will move from playing one frequent nemesis to another.
After playing the Golden State Warriors, who brought a 12-game winning streak against the Rockets to Toyota Center on Thursday, the Rockets face the Miami Heat, who have won their past seven games against the Rockets.
The Heat will also be playing the second game of a back-to-back, going from a home game against the 76ers to the game against the Rockets.
The Heat also have plenty at stake in the race to avoid having to play a play-in game, with three teams within a gameand-a-half of sixth in the Eastern Conference before Thursday’s games.
While trying to escape their troubles against the Heat, the Rockets will need to overcome their issues in the second game of back-to-backs, going 3-9 when playing on a second consecutive night. The Rockets have not had a back-to-back since losing to the Clippers at home March 6.
The Heat are 5-6 in the second game of back-tobacks this season.
The teams will look very different from the previous meeting. Jimmy Butler did not play against the Rockets in Miami and Kyle Lowry, now with the 76ers, started at point guard. The Rockets were without Dillon Brooks, and were led by Alperen Şengün, who is out.
The defense tests
There has been little mystery about how the Heat have moved toward the playoffs, and out of play-in territory. The defense that has been among the league’s best has been its best in recent weeks.
Miami has the fourthranked defense in the NBA, but in the five games prior to playing the 76ers on Thursday, the defense has been the best in the league by a wide margin, holding opponents to 99.8 points per 100 possessions.
(The Rockets should know the type. They are in a midst of a six-game stretch against the top five defenses in the five games prior to Thursday, Dallas twice, Minnesota, Golden State, Miami and Orlando).
Miami’s run included a 60-point win against a Trail Blazers team playing rookies and biding time until the lottery, but they also held the Knicks to 99 points and the Cavaliers to 84.
They had held 15 consecutive opponents to fewer points than they average going into Thursday’s game.
In the painted area
The Heat traditionally protect the paint well and have allowed an average of just 46.3 points in the paint this season, the third fewest in the NBA. The Rockets scored just 42 paint points in the first meeting.
That has tended to test the Rockets’ ability to hit 3-pointers. But after shooting well in March, the Rockets made just 32.2% of their 3s in the four games prior to playing the Warriors on Thursday.
Cold vs. Heat
Jalen Green’s worst shooting in his three NBA seasons had been against the Warriors, Thursday’s opponent in Toyota Center. The next worst is against the Heat.
Green has averaged just 16 points on 36.4% shooting, 22.5% 3-point shooting in five games against Miami. He was 2 of 10 for 11 points against the Heat in the first meeting.
That game was Jan. 8, well before he turned things around. Going into Thursday’s game, Green had averaged 27.6 points on 48.9% shooting and 39.2% 3-point shooting in 16 games since the All-Star break.
Fast times?
The Rockets were determined to pick up the pace after the AllStar break and looked to run even more after the injury to Şengün. They have pressed the accelerator even more recently, putting up 22 fast break points against the Timberwolves on Tuesday.
The Rockets have averaged 17.8 fast break points per game, third most in the NBA, since Ş engün’s injury, 2.6 more than before the lineup change and 3.3 more than before the break.
The Heat, however, limit fast break points almost as much as the Rockets do. The Rockets allow the fewest fast break points in the NBA, but the Heat give up an average of just 13 per game, 1.5 more than the Rockets. The Rockets scored just six fast break points in the first meeting.
The Heat have the second-best transition defense in the league, allowing 1.11 points per transition possession.
Herro ball?
Heat guard Tyler Herro has feasted in matchups against the Rockets. His average of 25.9 points is his most against any opponent. His 48.5% 3-point shooting in those seven games is his best against any other team.
Herro, however, has not played since Feb. 23, the first game after the All-Star break before a right foot injury. The Heat have not given a timeline for Herro to return but there are hopes he will return in the regular season.
Josh Richardson is out, but several players that had been dealing with injuries — Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin, Nikola Jovic, Kevin Love and Terry Rozier — have either continued to play or recently returned.