Nikola Jovic's Career-High Leads Heat Past Trail Blazers 136-131
Nikola Jovic scored a career-high 29 points off the bench, adding nine rebounds and seven assists to help the Miami Heat defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 136-131 on Saturday night. Jovic's previous best was 24 points.
Key Contributors for Miami
- Norman Powell scored 22 points.
- Pelle Larsson added 16 points.
- Andrew Wiggins contributed 15 points.
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. posted a near triple-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists.
- Kel’el Ware grabbed 12 rebounds.
Portland Trail Blazers Performance
Deni Avdija led Portland with 33 points, now averaging 25.3 points per game this season during their first game of a five-game road trip.
- Shaedon Sharpe scored 21 points.
- Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant each added 18 points.
Game Highlights
The fourth quarter was tightly contested with neither team leading by more than four points until the final moments. [translate:Holiday connected on a 3-pointer with 3:26 left to tie the game at 123-all], setting the stage for the finish. Wiggins hit a 3-pointer with 1:32 remaining, giving Miami a 132-127 lead, and the Heat maintained control to finish strong.
Team Stats and Records
- The Heat improved to 4-0 at home this season.
- They moved to 6-2 when scoring at least 115 points.
- The Heat are 0-2 when scoring under that threshold.
- After setting a franchise record with 53 first-quarter points on Friday, Miami had a slow start Saturday, missing 14 of their first 15 shots and falling behind 15-3 early.
"They didn't stay cold for long."
Author's summary: Nikola Jovic led the Heat with a personal best of 29 points, powering Miami to a hard-fought 136-131 victory and improving their strong home record this season.