The last few weeks haven’t been kind to the San Antonio Spurs. Back-to-back blowout losses to the Memphis Grizzlies leave them two games below .500 and losers in four of their last five games. Somehow, it’s still better than what’s happening in South Beach.
The Miami Heat leads the league in bad vibes. Jimmy Butler is back after a seven-game suspension for breaking team policy. The Heat’s best player hasn’t looked engaged since requesting a trade earlier this year. Without Butler, Miami has focused on establishing its youth as the franchise’s core. Tyler Herro is having a career year, Bam Adebayo is a defensive anchor, and young pieces like Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez Jr. have shown flashes.
The Heat are a formidable opponent with Erik Spoelstra at the helm, regardless of who is on the roster. Still, they’ll be a step down from the competition the Spurs have faced in January, especially from teams like Memphis. San Antonio’s schedule doesn’t get much easier from here as a trip to Paris looms. The Spurs have an opportunity to steal a win on the road against a Miami team just trying to stay out of the headlines.
January 19, 2025 | 2 PM CT
Watch: FanDuel Sports | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Jeremy Sochan – Out (back), Riley Minix – Out (G League), David Duke Jr. – Out (G League), Harrison Ingram – Out (G League)
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Heat Injuries: Bam Adebayo – Available (back), Josh Christopher – Questionable (G League), Josh Richardson – Out (heel), Dru Smith – Out (achilles), Isaiah Stevens – Out (G League)
What to watch for:
Winning the hustle game
They don’t call them the toughest, best-conditioned, meanest franchise in the NBA for nothing. #HeatCulture will be out in full force on Sunday. San Antonio has to rise to the challenge. In all seriousness, the Heat are a top-10 defensive team in the NBA. Adebayo is a defensive force, and they have enough weapons around him to cause opposing teams headaches. San Antonio’s offense has been anything but consistent lately. That will need to change to overcome a tough Heat team.
Containing the three-point line
In two straight games against Memphis, the Spurs got lit up from three. The Heat are eighth in the NBA in three-pointers per game. Herro is a threat off the dribble, Duncan Robinson is one of the league’s best movement shooters, and Haywood Highsmith is a nice three-and-D wing. The Spurs must contain ball handlers and get out to shooters to keep Miami from getting hot.
Getting Wembanyama going
Victor Wembanyama has taken a step back after putting up insane stats in December. He seemed to float in and out of the game offensively against Memphis. Mitch Johnson should make a concerted effort to get his superstar big man back on track against Miami. Watch to see if San Antonio runs more intentional action to get Wembanyama the ball in spots where he’s comfortable, either on the perimeter or in the paint. A bounce-back Wembanyama performance could get him back on track before he heads home later this week.
Radio: 104.3 FM (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale), ESPN 106.3 FM, (West Palm Beach), FOX Sports Radio 105.9 FM (Ft. Myers/Naples), 1450 AM (Suart), 97.7 FM (Florida Keys), WAQI 710 AM (Spanish-language broadcast, South Florida), WFAN 101.9 FM/660 AM (Brooklyn)
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VITALS: The Miami Heat (32-29) and Brooklyn Nets (15-45) meet for the second of three regular season matchups. Earlier this season, Miami recorded a, 106-95, win in Brooklyn on December 18 and has now won four of the last five overall against the Nets.
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It also marks the first of consecutive games against Brooklyn with the teams facing each other again on Thursday. The Heat are 83-61 all-time versus the Nets during the regular season, including 44-26 in home games and 39-35 in road games.
PROJECTED STARTERS
HEAT
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G Davion Mitchell
G Tyler Herro
C Bam Adebayo
F Pelle Larsson
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F Andrew Wiggins
NETS
G Nolan Traore
G Terance Mann
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C Nic Claxton
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F Michael Porter Jr.
F Noah Clowney
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INJURY REPORT
HEAT
Davion Mitchell: Questionable – Shoulder
Norman Powell: Out – Groin
Nikola Jovic: Out – Back
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Trevor Keels: Available – G League
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Jahmir Young: Available – G League
Vlad Goldin: Available – G League
Terry Rozier: Out – Not with team
NETS
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Nic Claxton: Probable – Thumb
Egor Demin: Out – Foot
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QUOTABLE
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra: “Regardless of the scheme is, I always go back to that, it’s just about committing to doing hard things. We were really moving in the zone, taking away airspace and scrambling to challenge shots at the rim. In a lot of these losses in the last month we’ve just been giving up shots at the rim and threes.”
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For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.
Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket
ORLANDO, Fla. — Lionel Messi scored twice in a four-goal second half, defender Telasco Segovia added a goal and two assists and defending champion Inter Miami CF rallied to beat Orlando City SC 4-2 on Sunday night, winning for the first time at Inter&Co Stadium.
Messi took a pass from Segovia and scored in the 57th minute to tie it 2-2, and Segovia scored unassisted in the 85th for the lead. Messi put the finishing touch on the victory when he scored off a free kick in the 90th.
“The victory belongs exclusively to the players,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the game. “In the second half, they were a championship team. There were no tactics, nothing like that. There was heart, courage, possession, resilience, commitment. I think the team came out because they were champions last year.
“In the end, the players showed it. This victory is theirs.”
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Messi’s first two goals of the season give him 52 in his first 55 regular-season MLS matches — 51 of them in his past 49 appearances. It also brought the reigning MLS MVP to 898 career goals scored, including 672 for Barcelona and 115 for Argentina.
“He’s the best player to ever play this sport. He’s a leader, and as a leader, he inspires others, but he also often needs to be inspired himself,” Mascherano said of Messi. “When he was driving forward, he had more attacking options, and with so many opportunities, he clearly has the ability to create chances like no one else, and that’s what allowed us to turn the game around.”
Marco Pašalić took a pass from Iván Angulo and scored in the 18th minute to give Orlando City a 1-0 lead. Pašalić has scored in four straight matches against Inter Miami.
Inter Miami players celebrate after scoring a goal against Orlando City in MLS.
Defender Griffin Dorsey set up Martín Ojeda for a goal six minutes later for a 2-0 advantage that stood through halftime.
Inter Miami cut it to 2-1 four minutes into the second half on Mateo Silvetti’s first career goal. Defenders Segovia and Facundo Mura had assists as the 20-year-old forward found the net in his fifth career appearance.
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Segovia had eight goals and six assists as a rookie last season, while Mura collected his first assist in his first season.
Dayne St. Clair, the reigning goalkeeper of the year, turned away three shots — all in the second half of his second start with Inter Miami, but let in a soft goal for Orlando’s first.
Maxime Crépeau had four saves in his second start for Orlando City.
Teenager Colin Guske, 19, will miss Orlando City’s next match after the rookie picked up two yellow cards in his first start — the second one led to his exit in the 88th minute.
Inter Miami, which had never won in its previous nine trips to Orlando, was coming off a 3-0 road loss to LAFC.
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Orlando City swept Inter Miami during the regular season last year and leads the all-time series 8-7-4.
Inter Miami plays D.C. United on Saturday at Audi Field. Orlando City is also on the road with a match against New York City FC.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this recap.
Rain floods Miami Beach streets, cut short Miami Heat Family Festival
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Much-needed rain fell across South Florida on Sunday, but the downpour quickly led to flooding and traffic headaches.
“The drainage systems aren’t the best but in ten minutes it will be gone,” one person said.
The rain lasted longer than 10 minutes, flooding several spots along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach.
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In one neighborhood, at least a foot of water blocked the entrance. Drivers who attempted to pass through sent waves crashing onto nearby sidewalks.
The heavy rain also snarled traffic on parts of Interstate 95 and on the bridges to and from Miami Beach, slowing drivers trying to get around the area.
“It’s Miami for you. What do they call it, a sun shower?” one driver said.
The weather disrupted Sunday plans for many. The 26th annual Miami Heat Family Festival was cut short after strong winds swept through Dan Paul Plaza, knocking over several tents.
There is no word yet on how or when the Miami Heat plan to make up the family festival.
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Brett Knese
Brett Knese joined the Local 10 News team as a general assignment reporter in March 2025.
