Halftime Report
Down four at the end of the first quarter, the Trail Blazers now have the lead. Sitting on a score of 61-55, they have looked like the better team, but there’s still two more quarters to play.
The Trail Blazers came into the game with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
Portland Trail Blazers @ Miami Heat
Current Records: Portland 14-28, Miami 21-20
How To Watch
- When: Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Kaseya Center — Miami, Florida
- TV: KATU 2.2 ABC
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $19.00
What to Know
The Heat will be playing the full four quarters on Tuesday, but they’re expected to have things wrapped up well before that. They will play host again on Tuesday to welcome the Portland Trail Blazers, where tip off is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. ET at Kaseya Center. The Heat have been getting the ball to fall more lately as they’ve increased their point totals each of their last three games.
Having struggled with three losses in a row, the Heat finally turned things around against the Spurs on Sunday. They were the clear victor by a 128-107 margin over San Antonio. Miami was down 39-26 with 8:56 left in the second quarter but they still came back for the handy 21-point win.
The Heat got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Kel’El Ware out in front who had 25 points along with eight rebounds and two blocks. Tyler Herro was another key player, going 7 for 12 en route to 18 points plus seven assists and six rebounds.
The Heat were working as a unit and finished the game with 35 assists. The team’s really been improving in that area: they’ve now improved their assist total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers’ game on Sunday was all tied up 53-53 at the half, but luckily for them it didn’t stay that way. They walked away with a 113-102 win over the Bulls. The victory was some much needed relief for Portland as it spelled an end to their five-game losing streak.
The Trail Blazers’ win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Scoot Henderson, who earned 25 points along with eight assists and seven rebounds.
Miami now has a winning record of 21-20. As for Portland, their victory ended a five-game drought at home and bumped them up to 14-28.
Tuesday’s matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy match: The Heat haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 12.5 turnovers per game (they’re ranked fifth in turnovers per game overall). It’s a different story for the Trail Blazers, though, as they’ve been averaging 15.8. Given the Heat’s sizable advantage in that area, the Trail Blazers will need to find a way to close that gap.
The Heat took their win against the Trail Blazers in their previous meeting last Saturday by a conclusive 119-98. Do the Heat have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Trail Blazers turn the tables on them? We’ll have the answer soon enough.
Odds
Miami is a big 11-point favorite against Portland, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Heat as a 11.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 221.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Miami has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Portland.
- Jan 11, 2025 – Miami 119 vs. Portland 98
- Mar 29, 2024 – Miami 142 vs. Portland 82
- Feb 27, 2024 – Miami 106 vs. Portland 96
- Nov 07, 2022 – Portland 110 vs. Miami 107
- Oct 26, 2022 – Miami 119 vs. Portland 98
- Jan 19, 2022 – Miami 104 vs. Portland 92
- Jan 05, 2022 – Miami 115 vs. Portland 109
- Apr 11, 2021 – Miami 107 vs. Portland 98
- Mar 25, 2021 – Portland 125 vs. Miami 122
- Feb 09, 2020 – Portland 115 vs. Miami 109
