Heat bounce back from embarrassing defeat with win over Bucks

The Miami Heat rebounded from an embarrassing 47-point loss to Milwaukee with a 119-108 NBA victory over the Bucks on Wednesday, December 30 (Thursday, December 31, Philippine time).

The Heat didn’t have to wait long for revenge as they hosted the Bucks for the second straight night.

Goran Dragic came off the bench to lead Miami with 26 points, Bam Adebayo added 22 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists and Tyler Herro scored 21 points with a career-best 15 rebounds as the Heat rallied to stave off another home defeat.

The Bucks had dominated on Tuesday with an NBA-record 29 three-pointers in their 144-97 triumph.

The Bucks, fueled by a triple-double of 26 points 13 rebounds and 10 assists from two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, looked like making it two wins in a row when they led by 14 in the 3rd quarter.

Donte DiVincenzo scored 15 points and Jrue Holiday added 13 for the Bucks, but the Heat rallied despite missing Jimmy Butler for the second straight game.

Herro’s three-pointer to end the 3rd quarter pulled Miami within 3 points.

Dragic tied it with another three-pointer and Miami seized the lead for good when they went ahead 96-93 on Kelly Olynyk’s three-pointer with 9:04 remaining.

“You want to constantly develop some grit and toughness during the course of a long season, and our guys responded in an appropriate fashion,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Before the game, Spoelstra said there was “a lot of anger and frustration” within the Heat.

“As well there should have been,” he said. “And then today was just about getting to work and preparing and doing what we need to do to have a better version.”

In other early games, Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving scored 17 of his 25 points in the 4th quarter and Kevin Durant added 33 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists as the Nets dealt the Atlanta Hawks their first defeat of the young season, 145-141.

Irving missed all 7 of his three-point attempts in the first 3 quarters – when he was just 3-of-16 from the field – but finally got untracked with 3 baskets from beyond the arc in the final period.

Trae Young scored 30 points with 11 assists for the Hawks and John Collins added 30 points and 10 rebounds.

Atlanta led for much of the first 3 quarters, but couldn’t extend their 3-0 start to the season as 7 Nets players scored in double figures.

Boston, powered by Jaylen Brown’s career-high 42 points, defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, 116-111.

The Celtics led by 12 points after the opening quarter and took full control with a 17-0 scoring run in the 2nd period.

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who missed two games with a mouth injury from an elbow to the face, returned in a protective mask to score a game-high 28 points in his team’s 128-105 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. – Rappler.com