The Miami Heat starts the regular season tonight. Here are eight must-see games
Basketball is finally back!
The Miami Heat tips off Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, but aside from it being opening night, there’s not much else there. Sure the Grizzlies might have the pairing of the future in Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson, but the key word here is future.
While playing an inferior team might not be the best reason to skip, life surely will give you plenty of reasons to do so. Not even the most dedicated Heat fans can catch every game. Setting aside two to three hours on 82 separate days is nearly impossible with school, work or whatever responsibilities you might have.
But don’t worry — the Miami Herald has your back. The following eight games are ones you can’t miss. Plan ahead, book a babysitter or do whatever you have to do. You won’t want to miss these:
▪ Sunday, Nov. 3, 6 p.m. — Houston Rockets: The Brodie and the Beard linking up in H-Town is great but there’s an even better story line.
Kendrick Nunn vs. James Harden.
The two put up 40 on each other in the preseason finale. You’re probably thinking “Preseason doesn’t matter” and you’re right. But make no mistake: 40 points in a professional basketball game is no easy feat.
While Nunn will have to battle for significant playing time, he’ll surely be out to prove that his 40-piece wasn’t an outlier.
▪ Saturday, Nov. 23, 7:30 p.m. — at Philadelphia 76ers: Nobody in Philly thought Jimmy Butler was leaving.
Now, nearly four months after trading cheesesteaks for Cuban sandwiches, Butler will return to the City of Brotherly Love. You can bet that Sixers fans won’t be happy to see him which means boos, jeers and maybe a little something extra.
(Sidenote: Butler averages 28.5 points and three steals per game in his first matchup against a former team. After being traded during the 2017 NBA Draft, Butler hung 38 points on the Bulls in his first game back in Chicago.)
▪ Friday, Dec. 13, 8 p.m. — Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James is always must-see TV.
Throw in Anthony Davis, and the Lakers should make their first return to the postseason since 2013. If the Lakers represent the West in the NBA Finals, you might want to see them at least once.
Plus, it’s always love when Bron comes to the 305.
▪ Sunday, Jan. 5, 6 p.m. — Portland Trail Blazers: Hassan Whiteside’s career in Miami didn’t end well.
By season’s end, Bam Adebayo had replaced him in the rotation. Then, in the offseason, he was traded to Portland.
While both sides might be better off, facing off against the guy who replaced you is more than enough motivation to go out and ball - especially if he saw Adebayo’s recent slight.
▪ Sunday, Jan. 12, 3:30 p.m. — at New York Knicks: Madison Square Garden is widely regarded as one of, if not the, best places to play.
The memorable performances, epic moments and, of course, the courtside staple that is Spike Lee set MSG apart from any other arena on the planet.
For a player who has garnered as much attention as Tyler Herro, the possibilities of this game are endless. Will he join the LeBrons, Jordans and Durants who all proved themselves as rookies at MSG or will he fall victim to the bright lights? You might want to tune in and see how his first business trip to the Mecca plays out.
(Sidenote: Herro will be going against RJ Barrett for the first time since Duke torched Kentucky 118-84 in their first game of the season. Barrett dropped a whopping 33 points on 50 percent shooting while Herro finished with 14, including 1 for 6 behind the arc.)
▪ Friday, Jan. 24, 8 p.m. — L.A. Clippers: Butler might still be Sixer if it weren’t for Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard’s infamous shot put the Toronto Raptors in the Finals and might have pushed Butler to Miami. While the two have since switched jerseys, they still are two of the best two-way players in the league. Seeing them square off again is definitely worth sacrificing one night of partying.
Add in Paul George and you have a trifecta of defensive-minded, certified buckets.
▪ Friday, March 6, 8 p.m. — at New Orleans Pelicans:
Zion. Williamson.
Enough said.
▪ Wednesday, March 25, 7:30 p.m. — Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets are a very intriguing team.
With the passing wizard that is Nikola Jokic and a microwave scorer such as Jamal Murray, the Nuggets caught many by surprise last year with their second-place Western Conference finish.
Now it appears Michael Porter Jr., their first-round pick in 2018, is healthy. People forget that he might have been the No. 1 pick if it weren’t for an injury-plagued freshman season. If Porter can return to his high school form, the Nuggets could be title contenders for well into the next decade.
This story was originally published October 23, 2019 at 11:37 AM.
