The Miami HEAT defeated the Denver Nuggets 149-141 in double overtime Monday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. James Johnson led the way for the HEAT with 31 points.
1. JJ Takes Over
Whenever you approach double OT, you’re basically coming down to who wants it the most.
James Johnson definitely wanted it.
Down the stretch, the burly forward simply did whatever it took to get the win and totaled 18 points in both overtime periods combined. While JJ knocked down some huge threes during the flurry, nothing touches this massive dunk that put Miami up 144-136 with 52.6 seconds left in the game:
On the flip side of the ball, Johnson was just as impactful against Paul Millsap and held the 33-year-old scoreless after the fourth quarter.
What a performance.
In addition to his team and career-high 31 points on 13-of-17 shooting, Johnson also tallied a team-high 11 rebounds and six assists.
2. KO Stays Crafty
Kelly Olynyk sure is versatile, isn’t he?
From catch-and-shoot threes to nifty finishes inside, Olynyk did whatever he wanted against the Nuggets and had them looking foolish for a majority of the evening.
Naturally, one of his better plays of the night came on a crafty, patient drive to the bucket against Nikola Jokić in the first overtime period.
That said, Olynyk also got the job done on the defensive end and recorded a career-high four blocks, including this one on Jamal Murray near the end of the fourth quarter:
When it was all said and done, the 7-footer had 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting, eight rebounds, six assists and a team-high plus-18 rating to go along with his aforementioned four blocks.
3. 3llington
While Wayne Ellington’s arm is golden, his feet might as well be too.
Why's that?
Because throughout the contest, Ellington moved very well off the ball and weaved around screens to get himself clean looks. As such, the 30-year-old drilled a team-high six threes, including this one that got the HEAT off on the right foot in the second overtime:
Gotta love it.
Ellington finished with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting on the night.
Other Takeaways:
-Don’t let this BAM SLAM get lost in the shuffle:
Adebayo ended up with seven points, eight rebounds and three assists against Denver.
Game Notes:
-Miami's 149 points was the most in a single game in franchise history.
-Hassan Whiteside (left hip pain), Dwyane Wade (mild left hamstring strain), Derrick Walton Jr. (Sioux Falls assignment) and Dion Waiters (left ankle surgery) were inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-Up next for the HEAT are the New York Knicks Wednesday at 7:30 PM. Tickets for that game can be found here.