The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Miami Heat at Moda Center on Sunday.

The Heat (27-25) come into this matchup, winning five of their last six games. That's the team we've been waiting to see all season, and it appears the early-season struggles are a thing of the past. Having a 27-25 record is still disappointing, though, because this is a team that made it all the way to the Finals last year. There's really not much different about this team in terms of their roster, but the 26th-ranked offense is certainly not the same. Youngsters like Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro have leveled off a bit when they need to develop, and that's what's keeping this club from being near the top of the Eastern Conference.

The Trail Blazers (31-21) picked up a much-needed win on Saturday, taking care of business against the Detroit Pistons. That snapped a two-game losing streak for Portland but getting beaten by the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers on the road is nothing to be ashamed of. That actually gives them an 8-5 record in their last 13 games in total, with the only other losses coming against the Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Brooklyn Nets. Those are five of the best teams in the NBA, and it's a good indicator of how Portland is taking care of business against the teams they should beat. That's the sign of a great team, but they need to grab some wins over those types of teams if they want to be considered a true title contender.

These teams played back on March 25, with Portland prevailing, 125-122. Before that, the Heat won three of four in this series which followed up a five-game winning streak by the Blazers.