Portland Trail Blazers vs. Miami Heat Pick & Prediction JANUARY 21st 2025

Preview and Prediction

The Miami Heat, who ended the weekend in the eighth spot of the Eastern Conference playoffs, may have stumbled upon a hidden weapon.

Kel'el Ware, a 7-foot rookie center, is expected to play a more significant role when the Heat take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.

In Sunday's game, Ware matched his career-high of 25 points in Miami's 128-107 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. He also had two blocks, playing extended minutes alongside center Bam Adebayo for the first time this season.

Together, the two big men combined for 31 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra praised their defensive performance, saying, "That looked elite. Offensively, they'll figure it out. If I have to rely on this lineup, I will."

Guard Tyler Herro also noted that having both centers on the court at the same time allows Adebayo to be more versatile on defense.

Spoelstra revealed that he has been experimenting with the Adebayo-Ware combination in practice for some time now, and the matchup was perfect against San Antonio's 7-3 center Victor Wembanyama.

However, Spoelstra warned against getting too excited, saying, "Ware generates a lot of opinions. Let us do our jobs. Let him do what he's been doing."

Before Sunday's game, Ware was only averaging 13.2 minutes and 6.6 points. He was the 15th overall pick in the June draft.

Spoelstra explained that their initial plan was to ease Ware into a role, but he has now earned more minutes with his performance.

The coach's message to all backups is simple: "Make us have to play you."

Meanwhile, Portland ended their five-game losing streak on Sunday with a 113-102 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson had an impressive game, recording 25 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. However, he also had a game-high-tying four turnovers.

After the game, Henderson acknowledged that there are still areas he can improve on, but the team's focus is on winning.

The 21-year-old, who was the third pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has shown improvement in his shooting this season but still has room to grow, especially on the defensive end.

Henderson said, "I'm always happy. For the doubters, forget them. I don't really care about the people who are hopping on the wave now."

The Blazers were also without shooting guard Anfernee Simons, who is second on the team in scoring (18.0) and assists (4.9), due to a strained right elbow.

They were also missing rookie center Donovan Clingan, who has a sprained left ankle and has been out for the past three games. The 21-year-old is averaging 5.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in 16.6 minutes.

Clingan, who turns 21 next month, won a national title with Connecticut last season.

The Blazers are also building their team around veteran center Deandre Ayton (26), forward Deni Avdija (24), and shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe (21).

They also have solid starter forward Jerami Grant, but there have been rumors of the Blazers looking to trade the 30-year-old.

PREDICTION

Portland Trail Blazers

105

114

Miami Heat