Bam Adebayo capped a 30-point performance by sinking a jumper at the buzzer, lifting the visiting Miami Heat to a 105-103 win over the shorthanded San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
Kel’el Ware rebounded a miss by Chris Paul with 3 seconds left and the Heat called time out to set up a final shot in regulation. Adebayo canned the game winner from 19 feet to allow Miami to win the first contest of a four-game road trip.
Adebayo added 12 rebounds and nine assists for the Heat.
Terry Rozier scored 19 points, Nikola Jovic had 14 and Tyler Herro finished with 11.
Keldon Johnson led San Antonio with 19 points off the bench while Devin Vassell scored 18,
Harrison Barnes and Paul had 12 each, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Stephon Castle added 10 apiece and Charles Bassey recorded 15 rebounds.
The Spurs’ star center Victor Wembanyama missed the game with an undisclosed illness. San Antonio was playing the second game of a home back to back after beating Milwaukee 144-118 on Friday.
The Spurs trailed by 11 points late in the third quarter and by three heading to the fourth before rallying to take a 99-96 lead after a 3-pointer by Mamukelashvili with 5:15 to play.
Miami jumped back to the front on a pair of free throws by Herro with 2:23 remaining only to see Paul counter with two from the charity stripe with 1:36 left.
The game was tied at 33-33 after the first period. Miami forged an 8-0 run, culminated by Jovic’s running layup to begin the second quarter but the Spurs answered, knotting the game at 42 when Mamukelashvili converted a reserve layup with seven minutes to play.
Paul’s 3-pointer with 1:53 put the Spurs back in front at 53-52. The Heat closed the first half on an 11-2 run to carry a 63-56 advantage into the break.
Johnson led all scorers in the first half with 17 points while Adebayo paced the Heat with 14. Miami also got 12 from Rozier and 11 points each from Jovic before halftime.
–Field Level Media
