Miami Heat all set to take on Orlando Magic in the battle of South Florida - NBA Preview
The race for the bragging rights in the Eastern Conference is about to take decisive turn as Miami Heat prepare to embark on a tough three game road trip which starts with a crunch encounter against the South Florida foes, Orlando Magic on Tuesday night at the Amway Center.
Miami and Orlando have slugged it out two times this season and so far share the series. But tonight, and then six nights after it, one of the most intriguing rivalries in the recent times will be decided for this season.
The game is also more significant because it might be the last one for Dwight Howard in the Magic colours. With the trade deadline expiring on March 15, Howard is all set to be traded and the big man would certainly want to end his seven and a half years association with Orlando on a winning note.
The three time defending defensive player of the year has certainly warmed up for the marquee clash in style. In his last outing against the Indiana Pacers, Howard dropped 30 points, hauled down13 rebounds, dished out five assists and made four steals leading the Magic to their fourth victory in five games.
What’s more significant is that the first time ‘Superman’ showed up against the Heat, a 102-89 win at home on Feb. 8, he scorched them with 25 points and 24 rebounds. His number reduced to 14-15 the next time around, in Miami, but his presence on the glass will prove critical.
He is however not the only threat that the Heat are going to face on the night. So far this season, the Magic have established a reputation of one of the, if not the, best long range shooting sides in the league. Gone are the days when you would just double team Howard to choke the Magic. Ryan Anderson, J.J. Redick, Jameer Nelson and Chris Duhon from a quartet that is lethal from the perimeter and the Heat will have to be at their athletic best to prevent giving open looks to them.
Having said that, the Heat are no pushovers either and by all accounts they are the better team on paper. After losing to Magic, they have been winners of 12-of-14 and will enter the night on a three game winning streak. The prospect of facing the Chicago Bulls at home next, will also be a big factor in their thought process as they would not want to take on Derrick Rose and his team on the back of a loss.
To add to Orlando’s worries, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade come into the game full of confidence after fending off the Pacers in overtime. LeBron had 27 points in that game, including a trey that took the game into overtime, while Wade hit a clutch jumper just 0.1 seconds before the buzzer to win it. With a certain Chris Bosh to pose a decent challenge to Howard in the paint, the heat seem to have all the bases covered.
The Heat will be without Mike Miller due to a sprained left ankle. For Magic, Hedo Turkoglu will return to the line up after serving a one game suspension but Jason Richardson is still listed as day-to-day.
Tags: