Wiggins’ Late 3-Pointer Secures Miami’s Victory
MIAMI (AP) — Andrew Wiggins nailed a 3-pointer with 31 seconds remaining, allowing the Miami Heat to secure a 122-120 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning NBA champions. Bam Adebayo shone, scoring 30 points and hitting a career-high six 3-pointers during the game.
Contributions from the Heat
Norman Powell contributed 19 points for Miami, while Pelle Larsson added 16. The bench also made its mark, with Simone Fontecchio and Myron Gardner combining for 24 points.
Thunder’s Performance
Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the standout with 39 points, but the team slipped to 35-8 for the season. Aaron Wiggins scored 18, followed by Ajay Mitchell with 15 and Chet Holmgren with 14 points.
Injury Update for the Thunder
Midway through the second quarter, Jalen Williams left the game due to right thigh soreness. The Thunder confirmed he would be evaluated on Sunday. He left the court while appearing to clutch his right hamstring.
Final Moments
After Wiggins’ crucial 3-pointer, the Thunder had a chance to tie the game, but Holmgren missed a lob pass from Alex Caruso. Miami secured the rebound and called a timeout with just 3.0 seconds remaining.
Missed Opportunity for OKC
Caruso inbounded the ball to Gilgeous-Alexander, who quickly returned it to Caruso, but his 3-point attempt bounced off the backboard and rim as time expired. This marked Oklahoma City’s first loss of the season when scoring at least 120 points, having previously been undefeated in such scenarios.
Miami’s Shot Count and Upcoming Challenges
Miami took 111 shots compared to Oklahoma City’s 77 and played without Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. On the other hand, Gilgeous-Alexander scored at least 20 points for the 113th consecutive regular-season game, now just 13 games shy of matching Wilt Chamberlain’s record.
