Atlanta @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 14, 2019 ) Atlanta 87, Miami 120

Prized offseason acquisition Jimmy Butler is scheduled to make his season debut when the Miami Heat host the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. Butler missed the first three games after the birth of a daughter and the Heat averaged 120 points without the four-time All-Star.

Miami obtained Butler as part of a four-team trade to provide scoring punch for a team that lacked a bona fide go-to threat last season. "He's our All-Star. We can count on him," veteran point guard Goran Dragic told reporters. "He can play on both ends of the floor. It's only going to bring more stability to our team. We're deep as a squad so we need everybody, and Jimmy is one of those guys who's going to be a leader of this team. Can't wait to have him." Atlanta has a major scoring threat in second-year point guard Trae Young, who is averaging 34 points and nine assists despite scoring a season-low 25 in Monday's 105-103 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. "None of these guys like to lose," power forward John Collins said after the setback. "We're trying to win. I feel like the level of intensity is higher because we don't like to lose, myself included."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBATV; FS Southeast (Atlanta), FS Sun (Miami)

ABOUT THE HAWKS (2-1): Young scored 77 points on 27-of-46 shooting in Atlanta's first two games before coming back to earth with a 7-of-20 outing against the 76ers. Still, the Hawks were in the game to the finish against Philadelphia with the 76ers prevailing on two free throws by star center Joel Embiid with 5.3 seconds left. "I thought our guys were great," Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce said afterward, disputing that his team's lack of experience was a factor. "The guys we threw out there executed ... it came down to a possession, that's all you ask for."

ABOUT THE HEAT (2-1): Rookie shooting guard Kendrick Nunn took advantage of Butler's absence to average 22.3 points in three games, including outings of 25 and 24 points. The free-agent find who split his college career at Illinois and Oakland drained five 3-pointers - when he scored 25 - in Sunday's 116-109 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. "For this season, I just want to contribute in any way I can, be in the rotation this upcoming year," Nunn told reporters, "(and) just contribute to some wins and go on a playoff run."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Hawks went 3-1 against the Heat last season.

2. Atlanta rookie SF Cam Reddish is averaging 3.7 points on 5-of-22 shooting - missing all nine 3-point attempts - through three games.

3. Dragic, an All-Star two years ago, is coming off the bench and is averaging 19 points, five assists and 4.7 rebounds.

PREDICTION: Heat 98, Hawks 94