Heat Outlast Suns

     The Miami Heat handled the Phoenix Suns 104-96 on Friday night. The Heat have won their last four games and finished off a five-game road trip versus Western Conference opponents. 

     Miami(21-19) held a 30-23 advantage after one quarter. The Heat maintained their lead at halftime 51-46. Phoenix(20-20) could not gain any traction and were down 78-73 at the end of three quarters. 

     Victor Oladipo collected a game-high 26 points for the Heat. Bam Adebayo composed a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Jimmy Butler added 20 points and Max Strus dropped in 19 points. Deandre Ayton led the Suns with a club-high 23 points along with 14 rebounds. 

Panthers Push By Red Wings

     The Florida Panthers held off the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 at Little Caesars Arena on Friday night. The Panthers played the first of four road straight road contests in four different time zones. The Cats begin a stretch of nine of their next 11 games on the road. 

     Detroit(16-14-7) attacked quickly and got up 1-0 just 1:05 into the first period. Jonatan Berggren found the net for the sixth time this season. 

     Florida(18-18-4) responded just over one minute later at the 2:33 mark. Gustav Forsling fired a slap shot from long range for his sixth goal of the campaign. Eric Staal chalked up his seventh assist while Givani Smith collected his first assist and first point with his new club. 

     The Panthers converted on two power-play opportunities later in the contest. Aaron Ekblad scored at 6:28 of the second period and he made it 3-1 at the 8:11 mark of the third period. 

     The Red Wings closed it to 3-2 with 3: 43 remaining in the third. Robby Fabbri got his first goal of the year in just his second game he has participated in during 2022-23.

Dolphins Claim Geron Christian

     The Miami Dolphins have claimed offensive tackle Geron Christian off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs. He was involved in 10 contests with the Chiefs this season. 

     Christian has played in 48 games in the National Football League over the last five seasons. He was previously with the Washington Redskins/Washington Football Team and the Houston Texans. 

Matthew Tkachuk On All-Star Game Roster

     Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk has been named to the 2023 NHL All-Star Game roster. He will participate in the All-Star Skills Competition on February 3 and play in the All-Star Game on February 4 at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise. 

     It is the second time that Tkachuk will appear in the National Hockey League All-Star Game festivities. He leads Florida with 20 goals, 27 assists, 47 points, 15 even-strength goals, 31 even-strength points, 16 power-play points and 134 shots on goal this season. His brother Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators was also selected as an Atlantic Division representative. 

Zach Thomas Pro Football Hall Of Fame Finalist

     Former Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas has been named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The election for that institution will occur in February prior to the Super Bowl. 

     Thomas played 168 games with the Miami Dolphins from 1996 until 2007 and had 17 interceptions for four touchdowns. He finished his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys in 2008. 

Lewin Diaz Claimed Again By Orioles

     Former Miami Marlins first baseman Lewin Diaz has been claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles for a second time. The O's did the same procedure back on December 2. 

     Diaz has been with several organizations since the conclusion of the 2022 season. He was with the Miami Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves. Diaz had five home runs, 11 runs batted in and a .169 batting average last season with Miami. 

Lakers Shake Heat

     The Los Angeles Lakers edged the Miami Heat 112-109 at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night. Former Miami Heat player and current Lakers forward LeBron James did not participate in the game. The Heat will conclude their five-game road trip on Friday night at Phoenix. 

     Miami has defeated Los Angeles in four of the last six meetings since they played each other in the 2020 NBA Finals. The Heat have been victorious in 18 of the last 28 regular season contests against the Lakers. 

     Los Angeles(17-21) had an 11-1 spurt at the end of the first quarter and led 32-23. Miami(20-19) had a 19-10 run to conclude the second quarter and trailed 52-48 at halftime. 

     The Lakers were able to stay in front with a 79-78 advantage after three quarters. The Heat broke out in the fourth on a 11-4 spurt to go ahead 89-83. Los Angeles answered back with a 21-10 run and held off Miami down the stretch. 

     Bam Adebayo scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Miami. Jimmy Butler dropped in 27 points while Victor Oladipo drained in 12 points. 

     Dennis Schroder powered in a game-high 32 points for Los Angeles. Russell Westbrook came off the bench and fell short of a triple-double with 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Thomas Bryant contributed 21 points in the victory.