MIAMI (AP) — Andrew Wiggins’ 3-pointer with 31 seconds left put Miami up for good, Bam Adebayo scored 30 points with a career-best six 3s and the Heat defeated the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder 122-120 on Saturday night.
Norman Powell scored 19 for Miami, while Pelle Larsson finished with 16. Simone Fontecchio and Myron Gardner combined for 24 points off the Miami bench.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 for Oklahoma City, which fell to 35-8 on the season. Aaron Wiggins scored 18 for the Thunder, which got 15 from Ajay Mitchell and 14 from Chet Holmgren.
The Thunder lost Jalen Williams midway through the second quarter with what the team said was right thigh soreness, even though the starting guard was grabbing at his right hamstring as he limped off the floor. He will be evaluated Sunday, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said.
Oklahoma City had a chance to tie on the possession following Andrew Wiggins’ go-ahead 3, but Holmgren missed off a lobbed inbounds pass from Alex Caruso and Miami controlled the rebound. The Thunder got a stop on the ensuing Heat possession, calling time with 3.0 seconds remaining.
Caruso inbounded to Gilgeous-Alexander, who quickly sent the ball back to Caruso — whose 3-point try bounced off the backboard and rim as time expired. It was Oklahoma City’s first loss this season when scoring at least 120 points; they were 24-0 in such games entering Saturday.
Miami — which took 111 shots to Oklahoma City’s 77 — was without Tyler Herro (sore big toe, bruised rib), Davion Mitchell (bruised left shoulder) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (sprained left knee).
Gilgeous-Alexander scored at least 20 points in his 113th consecutive regular-season game, moving within 13 games of tying Wilt Chamberlain’s record.
It was the 77th time during that run that Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 or more points. He has scored exactly 20 points during the streak only once, that being in Thursday’s win over Houston.