The Miami Heat will travel to Sleep Train Arena to take on the Sacramento Kings. Action begins at 10:00 pm ET on Friday, Apr. 1 and can be seen on SUN and CSA.
The Kings were victorious over the Wizards 120-111 on Wednesday. With 29 points and 10 rebounds, DeMarcus Cousins recorded his 47th double-double this season. The Heat, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their close 102-100 loss at the hands of the Lakers on Wednesday. Luol Deng played well, recording his 10th double-double of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Rajon Rondo has been playing at a high level over the last five games for the Kings. During that stretch, he has averaged 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 11.5 assists, 2.8 steals, and 1.5 three-pointers. The Heat also have their own player combo that has been hot in that same time frame. Hassan Whiteside has averaged 21.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 3.6 blocks, while Dwyane Wade has put up 21.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks.
This game should be a battle of contrasting styles. The Kings (ranked first in the league in possessions per game) prefer an up-tempo style of play, while the Heat (29th) grind-it-out.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Heat winning the first matchup 116-109. Chris Bosh played a huge role in the victory by recording a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
The Kings come into this game 30-45 Straight Up (SU) and 34-39-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 30-45 SU and 34-39-2 ATS against teams from the Eastern Conference.
On the other side, the Heat head into the game with records of 39-34-1 ATS and 43-31 SU. Miami performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-2-1 record. Offensively, the Heat have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 99.6 points per game by averaging 107.8 during that stretch. The Heat convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking fourth in the league at .470. The last 10 games have really brought the worst out of the Heat on the defensive end. They allowed 105.9 points per game during that span, which is higher than their season average of 98.2. The Heat allow very few three-pointers on defense with 7.0 given up per game. Blocking shots is an area where Miami has excelled. The Heat average 6.6 blocks per game, best in the league.
With the Heat’s last win against Sacramento, their SU record against the Kings moves to 9-1 over the last 10 meetings. Furthermore, the Heat hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mia
Notes
On average, Miami puts up 99.6 points per game (ranked 23rd). Sacramento ranks 30th in points allowed per game with 109.0.
Sacramento ranks 30th in points allowed per home game (108.4 PPG), while Miami ranks 29th in points per away game with 96.4.
Sacramento has a dazzling 12-3 record when it gives up under 100 points this season. Miami is 15-21 when it puts up under 100.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Kings are just 18-42 this season. Miami is a winning 28-10 when it hits the century mark.
The Kings have an offensive rating of 104.0 (ranked 13th). The Heat rank seventh for their defensive rating of 101.9.
Sacramento averages 102.7 possessions per game, scoring 1.040 points on each possession. While Miami averages fewer possessions per game with 95.1, the team scores more points per possession with 1.047.
Sacramento is among the top-ranked teams based on its average effective field goal percentage of 51.1% (ranked eighth in the NBA). Miami is a losing 12-19 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Sacramento makes an average of 24.7 assists per game (ranked fourth), while Miami makes 21.0 assists per game (ranked 22nd).
Miami averages a league-best 6.6 blocks per game. Sacramento is the worst team in terms of blocking, with 4.3 per game.
The Sacramento Kings rank 14th in offensive rebounding, while the Miami Heat rank sixth in defensive rebounding.
The Sacramento Kings earn an average of 8.9 steals per game and are ranked fifth. The Miami Heat have a 14-17 record when they allow at least 8 steals.
