The Miami Heat, who had won six of their previous eight games going into the All-Star break, are excited to get back into action.
On Friday night, Miami will resume its season on the road against the resurgent New Orleans Pelicans.
Leading scorer for Miami, Jimmy Butler, will return after missing three games due to a death in his family. After joining last weekend, point guard Delon Wright will make his Heat debut. He and the Washington Wizards had just a few days earlier struck a contract buyout deal.
Before getting hurt, Butler had been averaging 23.2 points and shooting 56.3 percent from the field in his previous five games.
Before (leaving), he was in a terrific groove, according to coach Erik Spoelstra. “He’ll be alright. And we require him to perform at his peak.”
Guard Terry Rozier, who is expected to miss his third straight game due to a damaged right knee, is not present when Wright arrives. Rozier went on the trip with the team, and Spoelstra promised he could come back.
Notwithstanding interest from other teams, Wright claimed it was “a no-brainer” to join with the Heat.
“This was probably the best opportunity for me to play and help a team reach the Finals,” he stated. “If I want to transition in the middle of a season, Miami was probably the best place to do that.”
Spoelstra claimed that Miami’s choice to sign Wright was likewise straightforward.
The coach remarked, “He fits us with his skill set.” “To get someone who has played, is in shape and you can add to your rotation at this time of year without having to make a trade is a big add-on.”
After the break, New Orleans continued where it left off, dominating the visiting Houston Rockets 127-105 on Thursday to win its eighth game in a row and fourth straight overall.
Second-leading scorer Brandon Ingram, who missed the game due to a non-COVID sickness, was not needed by the Pelicans. Three other players scored in double digits, including CJ McCollum with 28 points, Zion Williamson with 27 points and nine assists, and Jonas Valanciunas with 20 points and 14 rebounds.
Williamson leads the attack in New Orleans, following a recent pattern where teams anticipate to at least double-team him to create opportunities for his teammates.
Coach Willie Green stated, “This is what happens when you put the ball in his hands, especially early.” “He is discovering (teammates), and there are times when he comes across something that appeals to him and he will pursue it further. He’s difficult to stop when he’s playing like this.”
Taking advantage of the attention directed towards stopping Williamson, McCollum made 11 of 22 free throw attempts. In games this season where McCollum scored 20 points or more, New Orleans improved to 18-1.
“(McCollum) came out and emphasized the importance of attacking the first game of the back-to-back,” stated Herbert Jones, a guard for the Pelicans who finished with 17 points, a career-high seven steals, five rebounds, and four assists.
“I think he did a great job setting the tone for the rest of the team to follow.”
