The Miami Heat outlasted the visiting Indiana Pacers 113-112 in a tight battle thanks to late clutch performances all over the lineup from Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo.
The Miami Heat continue to be all but unbeatable at home, beating the Indiana Pacers 113-112 on Friday night. This win brings their record at American Airlines Arena to 14-1 and their overall record to 23-8.
The Pacers had the game’s biggest lead at nine points, and no team was able to create any separation throughout. This game came down to the final seconds, with the Heat getting multiple shots trailing 112-111 in a late flurry before Goran Dragic hit a nine-foot floater with 6.8 seconds left to take the final lead.
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The Heat continue to be overwhelming in the clutch this season, now holding a 10-3 record in games that enter clutch status (as defined by the NBA as within five points and with under five minutes to play), and a 5-1 record at home.
Of course the ultimate goal is to win by enough that you don’t need to play clutch minutes, but the next most important thing is to have a team that executes crisply and plays its roles when the game matters the most.
That’s what the Miami Heat got out of its best players in this one with Jimmy Butler leading the way late. Butler took just 11 shots (moving the Heat’s record to 10-0 when he shoots 11 or fewer times) on the way to scoring 20 points on 3-of-11 shooting and 14-15 from the free throw line.
Bam Adebayo added 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting to go with 15 rebounds and six assists, and Duncan Robinson had 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting, with 6-of-10 coming from 3-point range.
Not to be left out, Derrick Jones Jr. was a defensive substitute for the final Pacer possession and harassed Justin Holiday into missing at the basket on the game’s final shot. Once again, although his offensive numbers don’t jump off the page, his defense has been critical to the Miami Heat’s winning ways.
Next up for the Heat will be a rematch of Monday’s victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, once again at home.