Bam Adebayo scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Norman Powell scored 21 against his former team as the Miami Heat earned a 120-119 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday in Inglewood, Calif.
Andrew Wiggins scored 17 points and Kel’el Ware added 16 as the Heat won for the first time in three games on a four-game road trip. Powell, who was traded by the Clippers to the Heat in the offseason, made his return from a three-game absence because of a groin injury.
The Heat shot 54.2 percent from the floor, including 70 percent in the third quarter
James Harden scored 29 points and Kawhi Leonard scored 15 of his 27 points in the first quarter for the Clippers, who lost for the first time in four home games.
Ivica Zubac scored nine points and recorded 18 rebounds, while Derrick Jones Jr., Bradley Beal and John Collins each scored 12 for Los Angeles.
Adebayo made a pair of free throws to give the Heat a 120-116 lead with 57 seconds remaining, but he missed a shot with 26 seconds left that would have sealed the victory. Harden made a 3-pointer for Los Angeles with 20 seconds on the clock to bring the Clippers within a point.
Leonard missed a step-back 3-pointer in the final seconds that would have given the Clippers the victory.
The Heat opened the second half on a 24-10 run to build a 90-81 lead. Miami led 96-83 with 4:03 remaining in the third quarter after a layup from Davion Mitchell.
Los Angeles trailed 103-95 to open the third quarter before beginning the final period with a 10-2 run to tie the score at 105. Miami led 110-107 with 6:26 remaining after a 3-pointer from Wiggins.
The Clippers trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half before taking a 71-66 lead into halftime behind 10-of-23 shooting from 3-point range and 17 points from both Leonard and Harden.
The up-tempo Heat shot 55.6 percent from the floor in the first half, with Powell scoring 13 points on 4 of 6 shooting.
Leonard moved into ninth place on the all-time Clippers scoring list in six seasons on the court with the team, passing Loy Vaught. Leonard missed the 2021-22 season with a knee injury.
