Timberwolves vs. Heat preview: Miami sluggish so far in December

The Miami Heat will try to extend their lead in the Southeast when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.

The Heat enter the game with a 15-6 record. Miami is coming off a 102-72 win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday. Miami's month of December hasn't been too jolly, with the Heat going just 4-3 so far this month.

The Timberwolves are 12-10 and are the No. 2 team in the Northwest. Minnesota is fresh off a 102-93 loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday night. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak.

LeBron James has kept up his MVP-like numbers so far this season. He's averaging 25 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. He's making 54 percent of his shots from the field.

The Timberwolves have their own big scorer, though. Despite missing a few games, forward Kevin Love is pacing Minnesota this season with 19.7 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. In Monday's loss, Love scored 23 points and hauled in 15 rebounds.

Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.