The Miami Heat wrapped up their five-game road trip with a solid 111-102 win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night, leaning on a balanced scoring effort and timely defense to outlast a shorthanded opponent. Bam Adebayo led the way with 22 points, while rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. continued to show poise beyond his years, chipping in 20. Norman Powell added a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards, helping the Heat finish the trip at 3-2.
This was a quick turnaround for Miami, coming off a 147-point explosion against the Jazz just 24 hours earlier. But even with the short rest, the Heat looked fresher and more connected than a Suns squad missing two key pieces in Devin Booker and Jalen Green.
Booker, Phoenix’s offensive engine and four-time All-Star, rolled his right ankle in Friday’s loss to Atlanta and is expected to be re-evaluated in a week. Green, still working his way back from a lengthy hamstring absence, exited early after experiencing discomfort in just his second game back.
Without Booker’s 25.4 points per game, the Suns struggled to find rhythm. They shot just 37% from the field and a rough 7-of-35 from deep. Dillon Brooks did his best to keep Phoenix in it, scoring 26 points, while Grayson Allen added 18 - but on a tough 4-of-18 shooting night, including 1-of-11 from three-point range.
Miami, the NBA’s fourth-highest scoring team, didn’t exactly light it up from outside either - just 3-of-17 from beyond the arc in the first half - but they made up for it with smart execution and stretches of dominant defense. After a back-and-forth second quarter where both teams struggled to find the bottom of the net, the Heat used a mini-run to take a 58-48 lead into the break.
The Suns showed some fight in the third, briefly trimming the deficit behind scrappy defense and hustle plays. Isaiah Livers even gave the home crowd a jolt with a long buzzer-beating three from just inside half court to cut Miami’s lead to 82-77 heading into the fourth.
But when it mattered most, the Heat tightened the screws. They opened the final quarter on a 19-6 run, pushing their lead to 101-83 midway through the frame and never looked back. It was the kind of composed, road-tested effort that Miami has built its identity around - capitalize on mistakes, stay locked in defensively, and let the offense come to them.
Next up, the Heat return home to host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. The Suns will look to regroup and get healthy before facing the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.