*NBA(1.5u): Heat -2(-110) @ Trail Blazers–9:10 PM CT
Miami’s roster is certainly not at “full strength” at the moment, but it can’t be said how much Damian Lillard’s absence means to this Trail Blazers team. Portland was struggling even with Lillard in the lineup because they are also without CJ McCollum and have run into some trouble in their frontcourt depth. While Portland did beat Atlanta a couple of nights ago, it took a 43 point performance from Anfernee Simons to squeak out that win. That type of output is not sustainable for a 4th year guy who has never been the centerpiece of this Blazers team. While Miami has lost 2 straight games, they covered against the Warriors the other night and are playing pretty well considering all the pieces they are missing. With veterans like Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker leading the way tonight, I have a hard time seeing an Erik Spoelstra coached team dropping 3 straight games. Again, Portland is without Damian Lillard; that alone justifies this multi-unit play on the Heat.
