It wasn’t the prettiest game, but the HEAT made some crucial plays late and defeated the Kings 118-113 in overtime Monday night at AmericanAirlines Arena to improve to a league-best 19-1 at home and a league-best 7-0 in OT.
Let’s get right to it.
1. JJ Empties The Tank On Both Ends
From the very moment James Johnson checked into the game, he was locked in.
And while he scored a team-high 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the fourth quarter and overtime period combined thanks to a mix of treys and drives, his biggest contribution came on the defensive end down the stretch.
Need proof?
Check out these sequences:
Clutch.
In all, JJ tallied a season-high 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-5 from deep, six rebounds, three assists and a game-high two blocks (tied with Buddy Hield).
2. Bam Goes Off Late
After a quiet three quarters, Bam Adebayo absolutely came alive in the fourth.
Seriously, watch this alley-oop jam courtesy of Kendrick Nunn that seemingly gave Miami some life:
And if you thought that was cool, this perfect lob from Goran Dragić to the big fella to send the game to overtime will impress you even more:
Execution at its finest.
All told, Adebayo had 11 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting in the fourth quarter and overtime period combined and ended up with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, a team-high 11 boards, five assists, one steal, one block and a game-high plus-13 rating.
3. Nunn Remains Steady
Early on, Nunn did his usual damage off the dribble and utilized screens well for a bunch of mid-range jumpers.
That said, his most important play of the night came on this tough catch-and-shoot trey in overtime:
That’s big time.
Shortly thereafter, the rookie drilled four free throws to put the game out of reach for good.
When it was all said and done, Nunn totaled a game-high 25 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field and a perfect 8-of-8 shooting from the line, seven rebounds, a team-high six assists and a plus-11 rating.
Other Takeaways:
-In addition to throwing that aforementioned lob at the end of regulation, Dragić had Sacramento on its heels with some assertive takes to the rack both in the halfcourt and in transition.
The Dragon concluded the contest with 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting, four assists, two rebounds and a steal.
Game Notes:
-Derrick Jones Jr. got poked in both eyes near the end of the third quarter, but returned later on. He finished with seven points, three rebounds and an assist.
-Jimmy Butler (Right Hip Soreness) was an active scratch.
-Kyle Alexander (G League - Two-Way), KZ Okpala (G League - On Assignment), Gabe Vincent (G League - Two-Way) and Justise Winslow (Lower Back Bone Bruise) were inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT will continue their homestand on Wednesday at 7:30PM against the Wizards. Tickets for that game can be found here.