The Lakers roller coaster continues on Wednesday as they play their fourth straight game without LeBron James.
It's been an uneven start for the Lakers who are 1-2 over their last three games without the four-time MVP, the lone win coming in overtime on Monday over the Charlotte Hornets.
With James out, the focus remains on Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis who have yet to hit their stride as a duo. In 165 minutes on the floor together without James, they've been outscored by 42 points, not exactly the recipe Los Angeles needs to succeed if James remains out of the lineup due to either injury or rest.
Although Westbrook did record a triple-double in the win over Charlotte (17 points, 14 assists, 12 rebounds), he shot just 5-15 from the floor, turned it over seven times and finished with a plus-minus of -17. So far this season, he's shooting just 41.1 percent from the floor, the worst since his rookie season.
MORE: What to make of Westbrook's rocky start
Miami is back in action following Monday's loss at Denver, marred by a late-game alteraction between Markieff Morris and Nikola Jokic. After Morris fouled Jokic hard late, the reigning MVP retaliated by shoving Morris to the ground as he was walking away. Jokic was ejected and received a one-game suspension while Morris was fined $50,000 for his role.
The Heat have dropped two of three following a five-game win streak. Despite the mini-slide, the Heat have looked every bit the part of a legitimate championship contender so far this season.
Jimmy Butler is off to the best start of his career, scoring 25.3 points per game, which would be a career high. Butler and Tyler Herro (20.3 PPG off the bench) lead a surprising offense that so far ranks third in the NBA in offensive efficiency despite a relatively slow start from marquee free agent signing Kyle Lowry. The six-time All-Star is averaging just 10.0 points per game, a sharp decline from last season in Toronto when he averaged 17.2.
MORE: Why Miami has every piece to the championship puzzle
This is the second game of a five-game road trip and the first night of a back-to-back as they play the Clippers in L.A. on Thursday.
What channel is Lakers vs. Heat on?
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stream: Watch ESPN | fuboTV
Lakers vs. Heat can be watched on ESPN for those with traditional cable or streamed via Watch ESPN.
What time does Lakers vs. Heat start?
- Date: Wednesday, Nov. 10
- Time: 10 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. PT
Lakers vs. Heat is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 10. The game will be played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Heat schedule 2021-22
| Date | Game | Time | National TV |
| Nov. 10 | at Lakers | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| Nov. 11 | at Clippers | 10:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Nov. 13 | at Jazz | 5 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Nov. 15 | at Thunder | 8 p.m. | -- |
| Nov. 17 | vs. Pelicans | 7:30 p.m. | -- |
(All times Eastern)
Lakers schedule 2021-22
| Date | Game | Time | National TV |
| Nov. 10 | vs. Heat | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| Nov. 12 | vs. Wolves | 10:30 p.m. | -- |
| Nov. 14 | vs. Spurs | 3:30 p.m. | -- |
| Nov. 15 | vs. Bulls | 10:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Nov. 17 | at Bucks | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
(All times Eastern)
NBA schedule for 2021-22
After a truncated season in 2020-21, the NBA returns to its standard 82-game format for the 2021-22 campaign, which is the league's 75th anniversary season. Here are some key dates for the 2021-22 NBA season:
- Regular season begins: Oct. 19
- Trade deadline: Feb. 10
- NBA All-Star 2022: Feb. 18-20
- Regular season concludes: April 10
- Play-In Tournament: April 12-15
- Playoffs begin: April 16
- NBA Finals begin: June 2
- 2022 NBA Draft: June 23
