The Lakers will make the third stop of their four-game road trip in Miami, where they face the Heat on Wednesday. This will be the first game between both teams this season.

Start time and TV program

WHO: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat

When: 4:30 p.m. PT, December 4th

Where: Kaseya Center

Regard: NBA TV, Spectrum SportsNet

If there is an Eastern Conference version of this current Lakers team, it is none other than the Heat.

If you watch these two teams play, you’ll see the similarities in their performance and approach to games, how mediocre they are, the fact that both have an aging superstar, a brilliant defensive anchor – even though Anthony Davis is leagues better offensively than Bam Adebayo – a flawed but serviceable backcourt and how their inconsistencies are the reason they can’t seem to compete in their respective conferences.

The Heat – currently ranked 9th out of 10 and a No. 7 seed – have won games because of their defense, which is ranked 10th best in the league. It’s their offense that’s actually hurting them, as they average just 110.1 points per game, ranking 21st in the league, led by Tyler Herro’s 23.7 points per game.

But for all their weaknesses on the offensive side of the ball, the Heat have always given the Lakers problems, especially since it’s well-documented that Jimmy Butler loves playing against LeBron James. That being said, this Heat team always plays hard and considering they play the Lakers at home on Wednesday, expect another heated game that will most likely fail.

Here are the encounters worth looking forward to:

AD vs. Bam

Bam is the type of physical big that can cause AD problems, but the latter has also outplayed the former a few times. Both will be very important for their respective teams tomorrow as they will not only have to take responsibility for their team’s defense, but also keep each other in check on offense.

The key for AD is to make sure Bam only hits his average of 15.6 points per game or less. It would also be nice if the Lakers could make AD the focal point of their offense again – a strategy Los Angeles has moved away from as of late.

Perhaps the increase in James’ usage and touches could be the reason for his lackluster performance of late. But with LA struggling, it would be nice to get back to what helped them win games earlier in the season.

Fight in the backcourt

The Lakers not only have to have a three-level scorer in Herro, but also have to keep up with his performance. Personally, I would be more confident in this matchup if Austin Reaves was ready, but he is still questionable.

So if AR doesn’t play, the Lakers will have to rely on D’Angelo Russell, former Heat guard Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht and Max Christie – all of whom didn’t play well in the loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

If LA can contain the Heat’s leading scorer, outscore them and capitalize on their flawed offense, there’s a good chance they can get a much-needed win. As both teams endure their ups and downs this season, let’s see which squad returns to the winning column on Wednesday.

Notes and updates

• The Lakers’ injury report lists Anthony Davis (left plantar fasciitis) as probable, while Jalen Hood-Schfino (left groin soreness) and Austin Reaves (left pelvic contusion) are listed as questionable.
• Jaxson Hayes (right ankle sprain/bruise), Jarred Vanderbilt (recovering from right foot surgery) and Christian Wood (recovering from left knee surgery) are out.
• Speaking of Vando, in case you missed it, a new update on his recovery was released on Tuesday.
• As for the Heat, Jimmy Butler (right knee soreness) as well as Kevin Love (back spasms) and Josh Richardson (illness) are questionable. Nikola Jovic (left ankle sprain) is out.
• We’ll be live on playback for this game, so be sure to join us!

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglanI.