Norman Powell scored 24 points as the Miami Heat stopped a season-worst five-game losing streak with a 106-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday in New York.
Powell was initially considered questionable for the game due to a calf strain, but he shot 8 of 14 overall, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Powell’s 17th game with at least 20 points this season helped the Heat earn their second win in eight games since opening 13-6.
Miami’s Kel’el Ware tied a season high with 22 points to go along with 12 rebounds, offsetting Bam Adebayo’s foul trouble. Adebayo had a season-high 17 rebounds but was held to eight points and was on the bench with his fifth foul as Miami began finishing it off.
Jamie Jaquez Jr. added 19 points off the Heat bench on 9-of-13 shooting while Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell contributed 10 apiece. Mitchell dished out seven assists for Miami, which shot 46.1% and survived going 9 of 28 (32.1%) from beyond the arc.
Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 28 points while Nic Claxton collected 16 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. Rookie Egor Demin finished with 14 but shot 5 of 18. The Nets, who have alternated wins and losses for six games, hit 38.8% from the floor and were 11 of 49 (22.4%) from 3-point range.
Adebayo was called for his fifth foul with 7:20 left and Miami ahead by two, but the Heat subsequently began getting some separation with him on the bench. Consecutive dunks by Ware and Wiggins put Miami up 84-77 with 5:53 left, and the lead reached 93-82 on an open 16-footer by Jacquez with 4:01 left.
The Heat extended the lead to 99-87 on a short jumper by Jaquez with 2:17 left after Ware sank two free throws following a flagrant-1 foul called on Brooklyn’s Terance Mann. Miami clinched the win when Powell sank a fadeaway while falling out of bounds at the baseline with 1:26 left for a 103-93 edge.
Powell scored 10 points as the Heat took a pair of double-digit leads and held a 30-27 edge through the opening quarter. The Heat briefly fell behind in the second quarter, but they took a 54-49 lead into halftime after Powell buried a 48-foot 3-pointer with one hand at the buzzer.
A basket by Brooklyn rookie Danny Wolf forged a 71-71 tie with 2:09 left in the third quarter, but hoops by Adebayo and Mitchell in the final minute helped Miami enter the fourth with a 77-73 edge.
