Miami @ Golden State preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 23, 2017 ) Golden State 102, Miami 105

The Golden State Warriors seemed to put everything together on a dominant road trip and look to stay hot when they open a four-game homestand Monday against the Miami Heat. Following an eight-point loss to Detroit in their most recent home game on Oct. 29, the Warriors knocked off the Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio and Denver - three teams expected to be near the top of the Western Conference - by an average of 22.3 points.

Kevin Durant scored 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting and Golden State shot 54.9 percent overall in Saturday's 127-108 triumph at Denver. "Getting on the road was good for us," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "Sometimes you need to get on the road to feel more threatened. A team like this especially that's used to being successful. I thought we took a couple of home games for granted and we weren't defending, we weren't bring energy." The Heat will be playing the second half of a back-to-back for the first time this campaign after going 7-8 in such affairs a season ago. The double dip began with a solid 104-101 victory at the Clippers, with Hassan Whiteside's 21 points and 17 rebounds leading Miami to its first road win.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Miami), NBCSN Bay Area (Golden State)

ABOUT THE HEAT (4-5): While Whiteside shined, his fellow starters were 9-of-26 from the field, leaving plenty of slack for the bench to pick up. Tyler Johnson (19 points), Wayne Ellington (17) and James Johnson (14) were up to the task, although Miami squandered a 23-point lead in the fourth quarter before James Johnson's two free throws with eight seconds left putting the team ahead for good. Whiteside is averaging 15.7 points and 11.3 rebounds in three games since returning from a knee issue and registered 26 and 20 in his previous visit to Golden State on Jan. 10.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (7-3): Golden State often talked about some conditioning issues early in the season, but those appear to be a thing of the past, and as the players have found their legs, the shooting percentages have climbed. The Warriors hit a season-high 18 3-pointers at Denver and shot 47.4 percent from beyond the arc on the road trip. Durant is at 62.5 percent from the field over a four-game stretch during which the squad has shot at least 51.8 percent in every contest.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Warriors SF Draymond Green is averaging 9.7 points on the season but has produced at least 15 in three straight games.

2. Heat SG Dion Waiters missed Sunday's win as he remained in Miami for the birth of his daughter.

3. The teams split two meetings last season, with the home club winning each time.

PREDICTION: Warriors 120, Heat 104