After four consecutive wins, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were confident heading into their three-game road trip but were embarrassed by the Orlando Magic.
Fortunately for the Lakers, they will play the Miami Heat on the second night of a back-to-back, where Brandon Ingram was the only starter who played more than 30 minutes on the front end of it.
With James making his return to the American Airlines Arena where he won two championships in four consecutive NBA Finals appearances, it will be without Dwyane Wade, who recently had a daughter with Gabrielle Union.
As Wade will miss his seventh game, he announced the 2018-19 NBA season would be his last. For James and the young core, it would have been special to play against one of the best shooting guards of all-time, but they will have another opportunity on Dec. 10 at the Staples Center.
Since the Heat did not make significant roster changes during the offseason, the Lakers will look to start a new winning streak. Last season in Miami, Ingram’s all-around game (19 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists) and Kyle Kuzma’s 15 points off the bench led the Lakers to a 131-113 win.
While the Heat have lost four out of the last five games, the Lakers should learn from the loss to the Magic and not overlook them.
Los Angeles Lakers (8-7) vs. Miami Heat (6-9)
3:00 p.m. PT, Nov. 18, 2018
American Airlines Arena, Miami, Fla.
TV: Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM (ESPN)/1330 KWKW (Spanish)
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: Lonzo Ball
SG: Brandon Ingram
SF: LeBron James
PF: Kyle Kuzma
C: JaVale McGee
Key Reserves: Josh Hart, Lance Stephenson, Tyson Chandler, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Projected Heat Starting Lineup:
PG: Goran Dragic
SG: Josh Richardson
SF: Rodney McGruder
PF: Justise Winslow
C: Hassan Whiteside
Key Reserves: Tyler Johnson, Bam Adebayo, Wayne Ellington, Kelly Olynyk