GAME PREVIEW: Heat take on Nuggets to start road trip

GAME STORY

The Miami Heat (7-2) kick off a five-game West Coast road trip tonight with a 9:00pm game against the Denver Nuggets (5-4).

Miami has a three-game road win streak after losing to the Indiana Pacers in overtime without Kyle Lowry in their first game on the road this season. After tonight, they’ll face the Lakers and the Clippers in Los Angeles, followed by a rematch against the Utah Jazz and then the road trip ends against the Oklahoma City Thunder next Monday. While they may not be able to keep their road win streak intact by next week, the team should be able to return to Miami with a few wins under their belt.

The Nuggets have started the season inconsistently and lost back-to-back games on the road in Memphis before beating the Houston Rockets in their last game, though it was just a one-point victory against one of the worst teams in the NBA. Nikola Jokic had to block Jae’Sean Tate’s potential game-winner in order to preserve the victory, but Michael Porter Jr. was forced to leave the game early in the first half with lower back soreness and is now listed as being out for tonight’s clash against the Heat.

In a welcome turn of events, the Heat are now listing Max Strus — who was injured last week with a left knee sprain — as questionable for today’s game.

A win today would match Miami’s best start in franchise history after 10 games.

ODDS: FiveThirtyEight gives the Heat just a 30% chance to win the game.

HEAT VS NUGGETS: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8 AT 9:00 P.M.

INJURIES

MIAMI:

• Victor Oladipo - out (knee; surgery rehab)
• Max Strus - questionable (knee sprain)

DENVER:

• Michael Porter Jr. - out (back)
• Jamal Murray - out (knee)
• Vlatko Cancar - out (left hip)
• Monte Morris - probable (knee)

LINEUPS

BROADCAST INFO

TV: Bally Sports Sun, NBA TV
RADIO: The Ticket 790AM & The HEAT Radio Network (Jason Jackson, Ruth Riley Hunter)
SPANISH RADIO: WAQI 710AM & The HEAT Spanish Radio Network (José Pañeda, Joe Pujala)

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