The Miami HEAT fell to the Los Angeles Lakers 131-113 Thursday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Dwyane Wade led the way for the HEAT with 25 points.
1. Wade Empties The Tank
Despite the loss, Wade did everything he could to try and come up with a victory.
Throughout the contest, the 36-year-old weaved his way to the rim and converted a number of nifty finishes much like this one late in the third quarter:
A little earlier with the Lakers gaining momentum, Wade helped mitigate the damage with 11 points in the second quarter, including this extremely difficult shot over Lonzo Ball:
In addition to his team-high 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting, Wade also amassed three boards and three assists.
2. Dragić Stays Aggressive
Like on Tuesday against the 76ers, Goran Dragić was very aggressive once again.
Need proof?
Just check out this nifty behind-the-back move in transition for a score in the first quarter:
That wasn’t all, though.
Dragić continued to keep the pedal to the metal in the second half and attacked the basket with purpose.
This wise drive against the slower Julius Randle in the third was a perfect example of that:
In all, Dragić tallied 19 points, a team-high seven assists and four boards.
3. Winslow Does It All
There’s just something about the Lakers, huh?
After tallying a career-high 23 points against Los Angeles last season, Winslow looked very sharp on Thursday.
How so?
Well, he showed his entire offensive repertoire with some smart floaters and a number of catch-and-shoot treys. On the flip side of the ball, Winslow competed hard against Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram.
When it was all said and done, the 21-year-old Winslow totaled 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
4. BAM!
Early on, Bam Adebayo gave Miami a jolt of energy off the bench and was very active on the offensive glass as usual.
While that was important, the rookie also impressed on the defensive end with this fantastic block on Kuzma late in the first quarter:
As the game progressed, the 20-year-old maintained his overall activity and kept things moving in the right direction.
Adebayo finished with 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, a team-high 10 boards, two blocks and a team-high plus-five rating.
Game Note:
-Wayne Ellington (left quad contusion), Tyler Johnson (left quad contusion), Derrick Jones Jr. (Sioux Falls assignment), Derrick Walton Jr. (Sioux Falls assignment) and Dion Waiters (left ankle surgery) were inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT will continue their homestand Saturday night against the Pistons at 7:30 PM. Tickets for that game can be found here.