Atlanta @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 1, 2017 ) Atlanta 90, Miami 96

The Miami Heat rebounded from a disappointing season opener with a strong performance and look to move over .500 for the first time since early in the 2016-17 campaign when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. The Heat led by as many as 21 points in the second half before withstanding a fourth-quarter comeback attempt and posting a 112-108 victory over Indiana on Saturday as they began a six-game homestand without injured center Hassan Whiteside.

“When we built the lead, our defense was active, our deflections, hands, multiple efforts, that was more in the direction of how we want to get to with our identity,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after his team shot 51.7 percent. Whiteside (bruised knee) is questionable for the matchup with Hawks, who have dropped two in a row after winning their opener at Dallas on Wednesday. Atlanta may have lost more than a game on Sunday as leading scorer Dennis Schroder (23.3 points) went down with an ankle injury during its 116-104 setback at Brooklyn and will undergo an MRI on Monday. The Hawks, who are opening the season on a five-game road trip while renovations to their arena are completed, have allowed 112 points per contest and also visit Chicago on Thursday.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), FSN Sun (Miami)

ABOUT THE HAWKS (1-2): Veteran guard Marco Belinelli played 31 minutes off the bench in the loss at Brooklyn and poured in 19 points, but he is just 6-of-23 over his last two games after scoring 20 points on 50-percent shooting in the opener. Small forward Kent Bazemore recorded season highs in points (16) and minutes (32) on Sunday as Atlanta shot just 34 percent. Rookie John Collins, who has made 52 percent of his shots over the first three games, notched his first career double-double with 14 points and 13 boards at Brooklyn.

ABOUT THE HEAT (1-1): Goran Dragic recovered from a rough shooting performance in the season-opening loss at Orlando with a 9-of-13 performance that produced 23 points against Indiana while Dion Waiters added 19. Jordan Mickey was a surprise starter in place of Whiteside and scored eight points to go along with six rebounds in 14 minutes while fellow center Kelly Olynyk scored 13 off the bench. James Johnson, who is averaging 12.5 points and eight assists over his first two games, was named as a co-captain along with Dragic and veteran forward Udonis Haslem.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Atlanta F Luke Babbitt will get a chance to play against the team with which he spent last season.

2. Miami SG Josh Richardson has drained five 3-pointers on 12 attempts over the first two contests.

3. The Heat have won five of the last seven meetings, including the last two in 2016-17.

PREDICTION: Heat 110, Hawks 94