Heat vs Warriors: Curry and Butler Lead Golden State Into MLK Day Showcase as Miami Tries to Steal a Road Win

The Miami Heat visit the Golden State Warriors on Monday night at Chase Center in a matchup that looks like a midseason measuring stick for two teams parked in the thick of the playoff race. Golden State enters with momentum and a strong home profile, while Miami arrives shorthanded in the backcourt and searching for consistency away from home.

Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. PT in San Francisco (10:00 p.m. ET). For fans in the UK, that’s 3:00 a.m. GMT early Tuesday.

Heat vs Warriors: Where both teams stand right now

Golden State begins the night at 24–19 with a dominant 16–6 record at home, playing the kind of confident, high-tempo basketball that tends to snowball when the ball starts hopping. Miami is 22–20 and hovering around the East’s middle tier, trying to stack wins before the schedule tightens after the All-Star break.

Both teams are built around star talent and late-game shot-making, but the paths have looked different:

• Warriors: trending up, riding a stretch of blowout wins and record-setting three-point distribution.

• Heat: competitive but uneven, leaning on defense and half-court execution while juggling injuries.

The headline storyline: Golden State’s new look with Jimmy Butler

This game has an extra layer because of roster reality: Jimmy Butler is now on the Warriors, giving Stephen Curry a second elite closer and another downhill threat who can punish switches. The pairing changes how defenses have to guard Golden State late in games, especially when Curry draws two defenders above the arc and Butler attacks the gaps.

The Warriors’ recent form has also been defined by depth shooting. They’ve had a run where 10 players hit at least one three-pointer in three straight games, a rare kind of “everybody eats” stretch that makes scouting reports feel useless when the ball keeps finding open shooters.

Miami’s counterpunch: Bam Adebayo and a frontcourt advantage window

Miami’s best path to controlling the night is through Bam Adebayo, especially if Golden State is limited up front. With Draymond Green ruled out due to an ankle issue, the Warriors lose their most versatile defender and one of their primary playmaking hubs on the short roll.

That absence can open space for Miami to:

• play through Adebayo at the elbows

• force help rotations that create corner threes

• generate second-chance points if the game turns physical

Miami’s frontcourt also brings a familiar face with extra motivation: Andrew Wiggins, now wearing Heat colors and returning to the Bay Area in a spotlight spot.

Injury report: What’s missing for Heat and Warriors

Availability will shape the rotation chess match.

Miami notable absences:

• Tyler Herro (ribs) — out

• Terry Rozier — out (non-injury related)

Golden State notable absences:

• Draymond Green (ankle) — out

• De’Anthony Melton (knee) — out

• Gui Santos (ankle) — out

• Seth Curry (back) — out

With Miami missing key guards, ball security and shot creation shift toward its remaining perimeter options and Adebayo’s facilitation. For Golden State, the challenge is defending without Green while still playing fast enough to keep Miami from setting its defense.

Season series: Miami already landed the first punch

This is the second meeting between the teams this season, and Miami currently holds a 1–0 edge in the series after a 110–96 win back in November. That earlier game leaned Miami’s way late, with a big fourth-quarter push that separated the teams.

Tonight offers Golden State a chance to reset the matchup at home, where its spacing, pace, and crowd energy tend to amplify runs.

Three keys that decide Heat vs Warriors

1) Can Miami survive the Warriors’ first wave?
Golden State has been jumping teams early at home. If Miami can keep the first quarter close and avoid live-ball turnovers, the game becomes a grind instead of a track meet.

2) Who wins the math battle from three?
The Warriors’ depth shooting is the main weapon. Miami’s defense must close to shooters without giving up straight-line drives to Butler and Curry’s relocation looks.

3) Can Golden State defend the paint without Green?
If Miami gets steady rim pressure and forces rotations, the Heat can manufacture points even without full guard depth. If Golden State walls off the paint and runs, Miami’s margin gets thin fast.

What to watch late

If it’s close in the final five minutes, this game becomes a test of closing talent. Golden State can lean on Curry gravity and Butler strength to create clean looks. Miami, meanwhile, will try to slow the pace, hunt favorable matchups, and let its defense dictate the terms.

Either way, Heat vs Warriors has the feel of a game that could matter again in April: not just for the standings, but for what it reveals about each team’s ceiling when the rotations tighten.