Klay Thompson delivered the shot that kept the Miami Heat from walking out of Los Angeles with a brutal loss.
With one second left in overtime, Thompson buried the game-winning 3-pointer to lift Miami past the LA Clippers, 117-116. He led the Heat with 30 points and knocked down eight 3-pointers in the win.
The finish covered up a messy night, but it also gave Miami a much-needed escape after a game that nearly slipped away. The Heat erased a 15-point halftime deficit to grab their third win of the season and move to 3-5. They now turn around to face the Golden State Warriors on the second night of a back-to-back.
There were still reasons for Miami to feel better about what happened in LA, even with the scoreboard hanging by a thread. Thompson has now put together three straight games that suggest he’s settling into his role with the team. That mattered again here, because Miami needed every bit of his shot-making to survive.
Bam Adebayo also gave the Heat something they had not had yet this season: a scoring leader. He finished with 35 points, the first time all season he has paced the team in scoring. That kind of aggression and efficiency is exactly what Miami needs if it’s going to get rolling.
The Heat also controlled most of the night outside one disastrous stretch. They won the first, third, and fourth quarters by a combined 24 points and held the Clippers to 40 total points across the third and fourth. The problem was the second quarter, where Miami was outscored by 24 and suddenly found itself fighting uphill the rest of the way.
If not for that collapse, this likely would not have needed overtime at all.
Even so, the Heat found a way while shooting just 25 percent from 3-point range. The rest of the team, outside Thompson, went 2-for-23 from deep. That kind of shooting usually sinks a team, but Miami still managed to outlast a tough Clippers group.
A one-point win is hardly something to celebrate loudly, but the Heat can at least point to a few encouraging signs. They’re 3-1 in their last four games, and after this one, they have something to build on.
In Other News...
Spoelstra Just Sent A Clear Message About Miamis Rotation
Erik Spoelstras rotation has already started to show some hard edges, and Tim Hardaway Jr. felt it in the Heats overtime win over the Clippers. Hardaway was limited to seven first-half minutes before sitting the entire second half after an ineffective showing that was compounded by defensive issues, a reminder that Spoelstra is not going to let offensive reputation override what he sees on the floor.
For Miami, the bigger takeaway is the message behind the move. Spoelstra has shown a willingness to tighten the rotation if it helps the defense, even if it means making an early call on a veteran who has struggled to find his shot this season. How that plays out in the next few games is still unclear, but the Heat coach made it plain that minutes will have to be earned. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Bibby Just Sparked A Wild Heat Debate About Bam And Giannis
Mike Bibby stirred up a familiar kind of Heat conversation this week by suggesting that Giannis Antetokounmpo would need to change his offensive role if he were ever sharing a roster with Bam Adebayo. The former Heat guards take puts a spotlight right back on one of Miamis most persistent questions: how much of the offense should flow through Bam, and how much would a superstar like Giannis have to bend to fit around him?
It is the sort of debate that sounds simple until you start comparing what each player actually brings. Adebayo has grown into a central piece of Miamis attack, while Antetokounmpo remains one of the leagues most dominant forces with the ball in his hands. The article also folds in current shooting numbers for Antetokounmpo, Adebayo and Donovan Mitchell as part of the larger offensive evaluation, which only adds more fuel to a discussion Heat fans are never shy about having. [Read more 🡒]
Klay Thompson Just Gave Warriors Fans A First They Never Saw
Klay Thompson added a new line to an already loaded career on Tuesday night, and it came in a place few would have expected. Playing for the Heat, the 36-year-old delivered his first career game-winning three-pointer in the final five seconds, lifting Miami to a 117-116 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in a game that was tight enough to demand a late answer.
It was the kind of finish that still felt fresh even for a player with Thompsons championship background, and it gave Miami a needed boost in a game where the scoring load was spread thin. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Heat with 30 points, and only four Miami players reached double figures, which made Thompsons closing shot stand out even more as the decisive moment. [Read more 🡒]