Returning home could help the Miami Heat end their current rough stretch. The Charlotte Bobcats, meanwhile, hope another new addition can do the same for them when the teams meet on Sunday at American Airlines Arena.
Though Miami (26-23) is sixth in the Eastern Conference, it has lost two in a row and four of its last five after falling 94-84 at Philadelphia on Saturday.The loss came hours after Charlotte (19-30) dealt disappointing former first-round pick Adam Morrison and reserve guard Shannon Brown to the Los Angeles Lakers for forward Vladimir Radmanovic. The Bobcats hope the move can somehow jump-start a team that has lost four in a row and been plagued by more injuries of late.
It's the third trade made this season by Charlotte, which despite sitting 13th in the East, is only four games back of the final playoff spot in the conference.
Each team has won a game in the season series, with Miami posting a 100-96 victory at home on Dec. 8 in the most recent contest. Dwyane Wade had 41 points and eight rebounds for the Heat, who won for just the second time in their last eight against the Bobcats.
Averaging 28.4 points this season, Wade had 21 on Saturday when the Heat were outscored 31-15 in the fourth quarter.
"It was winning time and they made the plays and we didn't," said Wade, who was held to one point in the final 12 minutes while battling the flu.
Wade has scored 62 points on 57.5 percent shooting in his last two home games, including 32 in a 119-95 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.
Miami has won four of five at home where it is 16-8 this season and 7-2 all-time versus the Bobcats.
Charlotte will be without leading scorer Gerald Wallace (16.4 ppg) for a fifth straight game as he continues to recover from a collapsed left lung and broken rib, and guard Raja Bell for at least two after he strained his right groin in a 102-97 loss to Atlanta on Friday.
While Radmanovic averaged just 5.9 points and 2.5 rebounds for the Lakers, he could be in the lineup on Sunday. He will be the 22nd player to dress for the Bobcats this season, an NBA high.
"We saw this as an opportunity to add another experienced player whose skill set is interchangeable with a variety of different lineups," Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins said. "I think he will fit in with our current roster well."
Emeka Okafor has scored 37 points and pulled down 25 rebounds in two games against Miami this season. He is averaging 14.0 points and 10.7 rebounds on the season and recorded 15 with 19 on Friday against Atlanta.
Charlotte won 100-87 at home on Nov. 1 in the teams' first meeting this season.
