Portland @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 5, 2019 ) Miami 118, Portland 108

Although their defense saved them in one of the games, the Miami Heat have put together some of their worst offensive efforts in the past week. They'll try to find their rhythm on that end of the floor when they host the Portland Trail Blazers and old friend Hassan Whiteside on Sunday.

After averaging 114.8 points during a five-game winning streak, Miami dropped a 123-105 decision at Washington, survived an 84-76 defensive battle with Toronto and then offered up little resistance in a 105-85 setback at Orlando on Friday. "They shut down the paint, they shut down our layups, shut down a lot of the things we're used to getting and shut down our normal threes," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after his team shot 37.5 percent while making 7-of-37 from 3-point range against the Magic. The Trail Blazers managed to snap a five-game slide with a 122-103 win at Washington on Friday. Whiteside - who had 23 points, 21 rebounds and five blocked shots in the win - will be making his first trip back to Miami since moving to Portland in a four-team trade last July to end a five-year stint with the Heat.

TIME: 6 p.m. ET. TV: NBCS Northwest, FS Sun

ABOUT THE BLAZERS (15-21): CJ McCollum scored 24 points on Friday as Portland ended a streak that included four single-digit losses. "A lot of winnable games we kind of squandered, so this was one we needed to get," McCollum told reporters. "Now we've got to move forward." Damian Lillard led the way with 35 points as Portland improved to 6-6 against the Eastern Conference.

ABOUT THE HEAT (25-10): Jimmy Butler scored 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting at Orlando while his teammates combined to go 23-for-68 from the floor. The reserves were particularly off, with five bench players shooting a collective 26.5 percent - including 1-of-17 from 3-point range. Center Bam Adebayo, whose opportunity to play a bigger role emerged once Whiteside was traded, chipped in 14 points and 10 rebounds for his team-leading 22nd double-double.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Whiteside has a double-double in 15 of his last 16 games.

2. Heat PG Goran Dragic is 10-of-32 from the floor over the last three contests.

3. Miami averaged 119 points in sweeping two meetings last season.

PREDICTION: Heat 109, Trail Blazers 101