Nikola Jovic's Career-High 29 Points Lead Heat Past Trail Blazers 136-131
Nikola Jovic scored a career-high 29 points off the bench and contributed nine rebounds and seven assists as the Miami Heat narrowly defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 136-131 on Saturday night.
Norman Powell added 22 points for Miami, with Pelle Larsson scoring 16, Andrew Wiggins 15, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. producing a double-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. Kel’el Ware grabbed 12 rebounds for the Heat.
Jovic's previous career best was 24 points.
Deni Avdija, now averaging 25.3 points this season, led Portland with 33 points during the first game of their five-game road trip. Shaedon Sharpe contributed 21 points, and Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant both scored 18 points for the Trail Blazers.
The fourth quarter was closely contested, with neither team leading by more than four points until the final moments. Holiday hit a three-pointer with 3:26 remaining to tie the game at 123 all, setting up the decisive moments.
Wiggins nailed a three-pointer with 1:32 left, giving Miami a 132-127 advantage, which the Heat maintained to improve their home record to 4-0 this season.
Miami also improved to 6-2 when scoring at least 115 points, while they are 0-2 when scoring below that mark.
Despite setting a franchise record with 53 points in the first quarter on Friday, the Heat got off to a slow start on Saturday, missing 14 of their first 15 shots and falling behind 15-3 early. However, they quickly recovered from the cold shooting spell.
Holiday connected on a 3-pointer with 3:26 left to tie the game at 123-all, setting the stage for the finish.
Wiggins' 3-pointer with 1:32 left gave Miami a 132-127 lead and the Heat held on from there.
Summary: Nikola Jovic's breakout performance guided the Miami Heat to a thrilling 136-131 victory over the Trail Blazers, showcasing strong contributions from the bench and a clutch finish in the fourth quarter.
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