Miami @ Brooklyn preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 29, 2017 ) Brooklyn 111, Miami 87

The Miami Heat suffered one of their most lopsided defeats of the season at home against the Brooklyn Nets a few days after Christmas. One night later, the Heat began an impressive rise up the Eastern Conference standings and on Friday night in Brooklyn they seek a measure of revenge against the Nets.

After the 111-87 loss to Brooklyn on Dec. 29, Miami won seven in a row, then suffered a hard loss at Chicago to open a five-game road trip before bouncing back for a 106-101 win at Milwaukee on Wednesday. Hassan Whiteside had his best game of the season with 27 points and 13 rebounds while playing more than 30 minutes for the first time since Nov. 17. "He was a monster tonight," coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. "You could see it from his very first block. You could see it from his very first over-the-top rebound in traffic, and you could see it from his very first drive that he was playing with a different aggressiveness." An energized Whiteside could spell doom for the Nets, who have struggled against quality big men all season and allowed San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge go off for 34 points in the Spurs' 100-95 win at Brooklyn on Wednesday.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Miami), YES (Brooklyn)

ABOUT THE HEAT (26-18): Kelly Olynyk's role increased when Whiteside was injured for much of December and he continues to provide important minutes. The 26-year-old center is averaging 18 points off the bench in the last two games after producing 15 in just 16 minutes against the Bucks, 10 of which came in the fourth quarter. "(Olynyk) obviously was clutch with his baskets," Spoelstra added. "We were running our offense almost exclusively through him and he was alleviating a lot of the pressure getting free and making something out of nothing a few times, some really clever plays down the stretch."

ABOUT THE NETS (16-29): Brooklyn lost three in a row and six of its last seven, but it has played some of the league's elite teams very close in that stretch and needs to learn how to make plays in crunch time to pull off big wins. "It's been tough," guard Joe Harris told the team's website. "We've been in this position what seems like a lot, where it's just a matter of executing down the stretch both defensively and offensively. We play really well, we're able to climb back into it, and then we have lapses in judgement. Not sure exactly what it is. But these experienced teams, they seem to find a way to win." Harris scored 18 points against San Antonio and had a career-high 21 while making all four of his 3-point attempts in the rout at Miami last month.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Heat SG Tyler Johnson missed Wednesday's win with a sprained ankle and he is expected to see a specialist Thursday.

2. Nets PG Spencer Dinwiddie is 16-for-63 from the floor over a five-game stretch but he did have a career-high 13 assists versus San Antonio.

3. Brooklyn SF Rondae Hollis-Jefferson recorded 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting and eight rebounds at Miami on Dec. 29.

PREDICTION: Heat 107, Nets 103