The NBA's schedule makers have handed the Miami Heat an apparent gift.
On Friday night, Miami (39-33) will host the Portland Trail Blazers, who are on an eight-game losing streak. Portland (19-54) has the fifth-worst record in the league.
It looks like a layup for the Heat, who can use an easy win. Miami has gone just 4-7 in its past 11 games, and that slump has knocked the Heat -- at least temporarily -- out of a top-six playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
Miami is now in seventh place, which puts the Heat in position for the play-in round.
The Heat are coming off a 113-92 home loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.
"We never got it to a 'moment of truth,'" Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Miami's comeback attempt.
The Heat were without their best player, Jimmy Butler, who was out due to an illness. Butler leads the Heat in scoring (21.4) and steals (1.4). He also gets to the foul line a team-high 7.9 times per game, and his abili...
