MIAMI — The Oklahoma City Thunder can clinch a playoff spot with a win on Monday night over the host Miami Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena.
The Heat (43-37) are already in the playoffs Adidas Johnny Gaudreau Jersey , but they are coming off a brutal 122-98 loss to the New York Knicks on Friday and, six days before that, a loss to the Brooklyn Nets in overtime.
In other words, the Heat — who are 4-4 in their past eight games — are not riding into the playoffs with great momentum. They have two tough games to close out the regular season, against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Toronto Raptors this week.
Miami’s opening-round Eastern Conference playoff opponent will be Toronto, the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers or the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Meanwhile, the Thunder (46-34) can finish anywhere between fourth or eighth in the wild Western Conference. Failing to make the playoffs is also a possibility.
On Saturday, the Thunder helped themselves by prevailing 108-102 over the host Houston Rockets, who have the best record in the NBA.
Russell Westbrook and Paul George scored 24 points each as Houston’s 20-game home win streak was snapped.
“This game was important,” Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony said. “But if we don’t take care of business on Monday, then this game didn’t really mean anything.”
A desperate Thunder team will likely be a major challenge for the Heat, who have muddled through with a 14-15 record since Feb. 1 Derrius Guice Color Rush Jersey , playing below-.500 basketball for two-plus months.
The Heat are 2-1 against the Celtics this season, 1-2 against the Cavaliers, 2-2 against the 76ers and 1-1 against the Raptors, and Miami players feel like they will have a legitimate chance against any opponent.
But closing the regular season in strong fashion — starting with Oklahoma City on Monday — is the first priority.
“You want to go into the playoffs on a high note,” Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade said. “You don’t want to go into the playoffs losing three games in a row. You want to go in feeling good about yourself.”
The Heat and the Thunder are healthy for Monday’s game. Guards Andre Roberson (Thunder) and Dion Waiters (Heat) have been out long term, but everyone else will be available.
The Heat will hope to slow down Westbrook, whose scoring is down by about six points per game fr om last season. Still, he has exceptional numbers when compared with almost every other player in the league, averaging 25.6 points and 9.8 rebounds while leading the league with 10.1 assists per game.
George is second on the team with a 21.6 scoring average. Anthony, who turns 34 next month, is averaging a career-low 16.3 points as he is no longer his team’s primary scoring option.
Oklahoma City’s fourth double-figure scorer is center Steven Adams, who is averaging 13.9 points and is second on the team in rebounds (behind Westbrook) with 9.1 boards per game.
Point guard Goran Dragic leads the Heat in scoring (17.5) and assists (4.. Center Hassan Whiteside leads the team in rebounds (11.5) and blocks (1.7) while averaging 14.0 points per game.
On the wings, the Heat has several capable scorers Blake Martinez Jersey Youth , led by Josh Richardson, Tyler Johnson, Wade and Wayne Ellington. All four score in double figures on average. In fact, Miami has nine double-figure scorers — five more than the Thunder, who rely on a superstar approach.Another offseason, another new head coach for quarterback Marcus Mariota to get to know along with a different offense. Yes, a little experience with such changes can help make transitions a bit easier.
It's not something Mariota wants to become a way of life in the NFL.
"But I think being able to have gone through that situation before, it's helped all of us to be ready and prepared for this new stuff," Mariota said Wednesday.
Mariota, the No. 2 pick overall in the 2015 draft, is heading into his fourth season with the Tennessee Titans with his third different head coach. He started with Ken Whisenhunt, who lasted only seven games into Mariota's rookie season. The Titans fired his replacement, Mike Mularkey Raiders Arden Key Jersey , in January despite back-to-back 9-7 seasons and their first playoff win in 14 years.
Now first-time head coach Mike Vrabel is in charge with Matt LaFleur as his offensive coordinator and Pat O'Hara as quarterbacks coach. The Titans hired Vrabel wanting more out of both their offense and Mariota, whose fifth-year option was just picked up.
"It's a process. It takes some time," Mariota said. "Everybody is doing their best to learn the playbook, learn about each other. It takes time and I think a lot of the guys would probably say the same thing. As we go through this process, if we continue to learn more about each other, we continue to communicate, all the stuff on the field will take care of itself."
Mariota is the youngest quarterback in franchise history to lead the team to a playoff victory with an amazing 18-point comeback in a wild-card win at Kansas City . He also became the fifth quarterback in NFL history with at least 9,000 yards passing (9,476) and at least 900 yards rushing (913) in his first three seasons.
But Mariota also had more interceptions (15) than touchdown passes (13) last season, though he had four TDs and only one interception in two playoff games.
Luckily for Mariota and the Titans, the quarterback is as healthy as he's been since being drafted at this time of year. His rookie season ended with a sprained knee, and he broke his right leg in the next-to-last game of his second season. A year ago, he wasn't allowed on the field while he recovered .
"It's kind of crazy to think about where I was last season at this time Troy Apke Jersey Redskins , and now here I am today," Mariota said. "Being able to run out there and compete, and practice with these guys, it's night and day and I'm just excited to be out there with the guys."
Mariota got to work on chemistry with some of his wide receivers in March in California.
The process of learning the new playbook started April 9 with the start of the Titans' offseason program, and Wednesday was the second of a three-day voluntary minicamp the Titans were allowed with Vrabel being a new coach. This is all new for Mariota along with Blaine Gabbert, signed in March as Mariota's new backup.
Learning the new names for the plays is the first hurtle. Vrabel said he knows players tend to look at a play call and translate to what they used to call it.
"You have to try to train them to understand the new language and the verbage," Vrabel said. "I think there's also a give and take where, 'OK, if everybody is familiar with that, well then we'll make it that or we'll call it that.' I think that's wh ere you try to blend the different systems."
Mariota isn't tipping how different this offense might look just yet either. He's focused on learning and making sure the offense is on the same page.
"It's an ongoing thing," Mariota said. "But, I love learning and doing my best to put everything that we learn out on the field." Authentic Womens Chad Thomas Jersey