LeBron James and the Miami Heat are ready for the regular season.
LeBron James and the Miami Heat are ready for the regular season. Reuters

The Miami Heat host the New Orleans Hornets at AmericanAirlines Area on Friday night in the final exhibition game of the season.

While the Heat have a star-studded roster with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, the Hornets boast two rookies that they hope to build around.

Anthony Davis is considered a rising star, as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft hopes to make last season’s painful record a distant memory for New Orleans. He is joined by guard Austin Rivers, but the rookie will be sidelined on Friday due to an ankle injury.

New Orleans will also be without Eric Gordon and Jason Smith.

While the Hornets struggled last season, the Heat are the defending champions and are considered a favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference.

In the final tune-up before the regular season, the Heat are expected to show more effort in executing their half-court set. Bosh is coming off a preseason game against the Washington Wizards where he scored 18 points off eight-of-11 shooting.

The Heat, who are 4-2 in the preseason, begin their season on Tuesday with a home game against the Boston Celtics. Ray Allen, one of the newest additions to the Heat, will face his former teammates in the nationally televised matchup.

The Heat will be without Joel Anthony (hamstring) and Jarvis Varnado (hamstring) on Friday.

The game tips off at 8:10 pm and can be seen on ESPN2, and be watched online for free at espn3.com.

NBA