Nikola Jovic's Career-High Leads Heat Past Trail Blazers 136-131
Nikola Jovic scored a career-high 29 points off the bench, adding nine rebounds and seven assists, helping the Miami Heat narrowly defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 136-131 on Saturday night in Miami.
Key Performances for Miami Heat
- Norman Powell contributed 22 points.
- Pelle Larsson added 16 points.
- Andrew Wiggins scored 15 points.
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. posted 14 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists.
- Kel’el Ware grabbed 12 rebounds.
Jovic surpassed his previous career best of 24 points in this game.
Portland Trail Blazers Scoring
- Deni Avdija, averaging 25.3 points this season, led Portland with 33 points.
- Shaedon Sharpe scored 21 points.
- Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant each contributed 18 points.
Game Summary
The fourth quarter was closely contested, with neither team leading by more than four points until the final moments. Holiday hit a crucial 3-pointer with 3:26 left to tie the game at 123. Later, Wiggins' 3-pointer with 1:32 remaining gave Miami a 132-127 lead, which they maintained to secure the win.
Miami improved to 4-0 at home this season and moved to 6-2 when scoring at least 115 points. The Heat have not won when scoring fewer than 115 points this season (0-2).
Team Notes
After setting a franchise record with 53 first-quarter points on Friday, Miami started Saturday cold, missing 14 of its first 15 shots and falling behind 15-3 early, but recovered quickly.
Jovic scored a career-high 29 points off the bench and finished with nine rebounds and seven assists as Miami edged Portland 136-131.
[translate:Авторское резюме:] Nikola Jovic’s standout performance sparked the Miami Heat’s narrow victory, showcasing their resilience after a slow start.
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