The Miami Heat ( 4 - 3 ) defeated the Toronto Raptors ( 5 - 2 ) 96 - 76 on Sunday . The Raptors have gotten off to a fantastic start this season by playing clean basketball , but they simply made too many mistakes on Sunday against the Heat . Toronto committed 16 turnovers in the loss while shooting under 16 percent from long distance and under 40 percent from the field . The Heat won with their defense , as they out - rebounded the Raptors 48 - 38 and recorded 16 combined steals and blocks in the victory . The bench production was a key difference in the matchup as well , as the Heat 's bench outscored the Raptors bench 33 - 14 . The Heat played their best game of the season on Sunday and that can be attributed to a spectacular performance from Hassan Whiteside . The center tallied 20 points , 11 rebounds and six blocks in the dominating victory . Chris Bosh also put together a nice game , totaling 23 points and eight rebounds in the win . Miami has to be a bit concerned with point guard Goran Dragic though , as he continued to struggle in this matchup . He amassed just two points , two rebounds and three assists on Sunday and he is now averaging 11 points , four assists and three boards over his first seven games of the season . The Heat will look to keep this momentum going against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday . The frontcourt for Toronto is undoubtedly their weakness and that proved to be the case yet again on Sunday . Hassan Whiteside and Chris Bosh owned Luis Scola and Jonas Valanciunas down low and that could be a problem all season long . Small forward DeMarre Carroll missed this matchup with a foot injury and veteran James Johnson stepped in for him here . Toronto was led by All-Star Kyle Lowry who put together an all - around impressive line , tallying 15 points , eight assists and six rebounds in the loss . They 'll look to bounce back in their next game against the New York Knicks on Tuesday .


The Miami Heat ( 5 - 3 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 1 - 6 ) 101 - 88 on Tuesday . The Heat came into this matchup as double - digit favorites and they showed why here . Miami out - rebounded the Lakers 47 - 36 in the victory and thoroughly dominated them down low . The Lakers committed 17 turnovers in the loss and that 's too many when you only draw 10 of your own . The Lakers made 11 - of - 22 three - pointers in this game , but that simply was n't enough to get it done . With Kobe Bryant out of the lineup for rest , there was simply not enough punch in the starting five . In fact , the starting lineup amassed just 39 points in the loss with Metta World Peace leading the bunch with 14 points , No respect to World Peace , but if he 's leading your starters in scoring , you 're probably going to lose . They did get 17 points off the bench from Nick Young though , who hits five three - pointers on nine attempts . The Lakers will look to play better in their next game on Wednesday in the second half of a back - to - back against the Orlando Magic . The Heat got some great performances from Chris Bosh and Hassan Whitesside en route to an easy victory . Bosh tallied 30 points and 11 rebounds , while Whiteside totaled 19 points and 15 rebounds in the win . Guard Goran Dragic continued to struggle though , as he posted just four points and three assists in the victory . There is simply not enough ball to go around for Dragic right now and it remains to be seen if he can be successful in this system . In any case , a win is a win . The Heat will take on the Utah Jazz on Thursday in their next game .


The Miami Heat ( 6 - 3 ) defeated the Utah Jazz ( 4 - 4 ) 92 - 91 on Thursday . Both teams played without key pieces , as Dwyane Wade was forced to miss the contest due to a family matter , while Rudy Gobert was unable to shake off the effects of the rolled ankle he suffered versus the Cavaliers on Tuesday . In their absences , Chris Bosh and Derrick Favors elevated their already impressive games and put their respective teams ' offenses on their shoulders . Bosh filled the stat sheet with 25 points , eight rebounds , four assists , and four blocks , including a key stuff at the basket on a driving Alec Burks late in the fourth quarter . Meanwhile , Favors posted a 25 - point,12 - rebound double - double that also included an eye - popping seven blocks , three steals , and a pair of assists . Favors ' gargantuan effort was supplemented by another excellent performance from Alec Burks off the Jazz bench . The fifth - year pro tallied his second consecutive 24 - point performance on a season - high 35 minutes . Gordon Hayward enjoyed a 24 - point night of his own , which marked a season high in scoring for the sixth - year pro . Unfortunately for Utah , starting shooting guard Rodney Hood was the only other player able to score in double figures , and he barely reached the benchmark with only 10 points . The Jazz dropped to 4 - 4 and currently reside in third place in the Western Conference 's Northwest Division , pending the outcome of the ongoing Warriors-Timberwolves contest . They make the trek north for a road tilt versus Orlando on Friday . In addition to Bosh 's standout night , Tyler Johnson rivaled Burks with a strong performance in a reserve role himself , pouring in 17 points and chipping in four rebounds , three assists , two blocks , and a steal . Johnson 's efficient night helped to make up for the loss of Wade , as did Goran Dragic 's strong first - half performance . The Heat point guard was much quieter in the second half , but did make a couple of key free throws late in the game to finish as the only other Miami player with double - digit scoring ( 14 points ) . The Heat improves to 6 - 3 on the season and remains in second place behind the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They now benefit from four full days off before facing the Minnesota Timberwolves next Tuesday .


The Minnesota Timberwolves ( 5 - 6 ) defeated the Miami Heat ( 6 - 4 ) 103 - 91 on Tuesday . A quick glance at Tuesday 's box score for each team 's starting five belies the end result of a Timberwolves victory . The Heat enjoyed double - digit scoring performances from each of their starters , including a double - double from Hassan Whiteside . Meanwhile , while only Andrew Wiggins and rookie sensation Karl Anthony-Towns were able to muster significant offense for Minnesota 's first group , the Timbewolves managed to outscore Miami 41 - 22 in the final period to emerge with an impressive double - digit road victory . Wiggins ' shot was falling Tuesday , and the second - year pro tallied 24 points , three rebounds , an assist , three steals , and a block to lead the Timberwolves ' charge . After falling a rebound short of a double - double the last two games , Towns burst through that barrier with a 14 - point , 14 - rebound performance against Hassan Whiteside . Shabazz Muhammad contributed another productive outing from the bench with an efficient 16 points over 20 minutes , while Zach LaVine continued to impress regardless of playing time with 17 points , four rebounds , three assists , and a steal over 28 minutes . The Timberwolves currently reside in third place in the Western Conference 's Northwest Division . They travel up to Orlando for a date with the Magic on Wednesday . Not to be outdone by Towns , Whiteside posted 22 points and 10 rebounds over 34 minutes . He joined in the `` 20 and Over '' club by Luol Deng ( 20 points , six rebounds , an assist , and a block ) , whose scoring marked a season best . However , stalwarts Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade could only muster 10 points apiece against a Timberwolves defense that came into the contest near the bottom of the league in points allowed per game , significantly hindering Miami 's chances for a win on their home court . The Heat fell to 6 - 4 and remain in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . The remain home for a date versus Sacramento on Thursday .


The Miami Heat ( 7 - 4 ) defeated the Sacramento Kings ( 4 - 9 ) 116 - 109 on Thursday . The Kings found out earlier in the afternoon that they 'd lost starting power forward DeMarcus Cousins for the night , due to a suspension stemming from his forearm shot on Al Horford in Wednesday night 's contest versus the Hawks . The ripple effect of his absence brought Kosta Koufos and Omri Casspi into the starting lineup for Sacramento , which could have used their All-Star big man , particularly during a valiant effort to close their deficit in the second half . Although they found themselves in a 56 - 46 hole at the half , the Kings did finish with a healthy total of 109 points due to a number of valuable contributions across the lineup . Rajon Rondo held up his end of the bargain trying to keep the Kings offense running on all cylinders , coming within a rebound of a second consecutive triple - double and fourth in five games . The veteran point guard poured in 14 points and 18 assists , while hauling in nine boards for good measure . Rudy Gay supported Rondo 's effort with a double - double performance of his own , posting 13 points , 12 rebounds , a pair of assists , and a steal . Meanwhile , Casspi played a season - high 39 minutes and was productive with the extended court time , chipping in with a 16 - point , six - rebound effort . Ben McLemore continued to show signs of offensive life after a rough start to the season , amassing double - digit points ( 17 ) for the second consecutive night . Notably , Marco Belinelli contributed a season - high 23 points off the bench in a highly efficient 26 minutes . The Kings fell to 4 - 9 and currently reside in fourth place in the Western Conference 's Pacific Division . They next head to Orlando for a date with the Magic on Saturday . The Heat benefited from strong bounce - back efforts from their two veteran stars , Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade . The All-Stars had each suffered through middling performances versus the Timberwolves on Tuesday , but took advantage of their respective favorable matchups against Sacramento . Free of having to bump bodies with Cousins all night , Bosh posted 23 points , 11 rebounds , four assists and a block in one of his most complete performances of the year . Wade stuffed the stat sheet as well , amassing 24 points , six assists , five rebounds and a pair of steals against the Kings ' vulnerable shooting guard defense . Hassan Whiteside had a relatively quiet game by his standards and could n't get on the stat sheet until well into the second quarter , but finished with a respectable 12 points , five rebounds , a pair of steals and four more blocks . Much like his Kings shooting guard counterpart Belinelli , Tyler Johnson turned in an impressive performance in a reserve role for Miami , pacing the Heat bench with 19 points over 25 minutes . The Heat improved to 7 - 4 and remain in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They remain home for a showdown with the Sixers on Saturday .


The Miami Heat ( 8 - 4 ) held off the Philadelphia 76ers ( 0 - 14 ) to win 96 - 91 on Saturday . This was the Sixers best chance at a win all season , but they could n't quite hold off the Heat . Miami ended the game on a 20 - 4 run and held the Sixers to one basket over the final seven - plus minutes . Not to mention , that one basket was a meaningless one with just seconds left in the game . The Heat held the Sixers to 38 percent shooting and blocked 14 shots in the win . Philadelphia 's bench was a bright spot though , as they outscored Miami 's bench 47 to 26 . This was a rough loss in a disastrous season for Philadelphia . They had a big lead early , but simply could n't hold on . They did get two great bench performances , as Robert Covington dropped 21 points while Isiah Caanan dropped 22 points . Philadelphia 's best player on this night was rookie Jahlil Okafor , who tallied 16 points , 11 rebounds and three steals en route to a double - double . The rookie now leads the team in scoring and is second on the team in rebounding . They might have their best chance at a win when they take on the equally - young Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday . The Heat looked horrible in the first half , but leaned on their stifling defense to pull out a big win . Miami got an outstanding performance from Dwyane Wade , who tallied 27 points , seven rebounds , four assists and three steals in the victory . Hassan Whiteside also had a great game , as he collected 13 points , nine rebounds and eight blocks in the win . Those eight blocks add to his already league - leading total and he 's truly playing at a different level this season than years past . This is one of the best defenses in the NBA right now and they showed why on Saturday . Miami will look to keep up their strong defense against the surging New York Knicks on Monday .


The Miami Heat ( 9 - 4 ) defeated the New York Knicks ( 8 - 7 ) Monday 95 - 78 at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami . The Heat pulled together a collective team effort , with five different players scoring in double figures , and they took control of the game from there very start . The lead ultimately opened up in the second quarter , where a huge scoring drought led the Knicks to lose to period 26 - 11 . Miami was led by the play of starting point guard Goran Dragic , who scored 13 points , grabbed nine rebounds , dished out five assists and managed three steals in 31 minutes . Hassan Whiteside recorded yet another double - double of 11 points and 11 rebounds on top of five blocks , while both Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade added 16 points each . Tyler Johnson gave solid minutes off the bench as well , scoring 12 points in 21 minutes . Even in defeat , Kristaps Porzingis still shined for the Knicks , scoring 20 points and grabbing a game - high 14 rebounds in 37 minutes . It was the rookie 's second straight game with at least 20 points and 14 boards . Carmelo Anthony added a game - high 21 points and eight rebounds , while the rest of the Knicks combined to score just 37 points . Up next , the Heat will head to Detroit Wednesday to take on the Pistons , while the Knicks will travel a short way to Orlando to play the Magic Wednesday .


The Celtics ( 10 - 8 ) were able to hold on to defeat the Heat ( 10 - 6 ) 105 - 95 at American Airlines Arena on Monday . The Heat pulled to within three points with a minute left in the fourth quarter , but five points from Evan Turner iced the game for Boston , which rebounded nicely after losing to the Magic on Sunday . Dwyane Wade turned in a vintage performance with a season - high 30 points ( 12 - 24 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 6 - 6 FT ) , five steals , four rebounds and four assists . With Marcus Smart sidelined yet another game , Avery Bradley stepped up again for the Celtics , scoring a team - high 25 points ( 9 - 15 FG , 3 - 6 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) . Boston showed no signs of fatigue playing a second game in two nights and had an easy time scoring the basketball against a normally solid Heat defense . Turner was a spark plug off the bench , finishing with 13 points ( 5 - 11 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) , six rebounds , three assists and three steals . The Celtics - - aside from Chris Bosh and Wade - - did a great job containing the Heat , as Tyler Johnson was the only other Miami player to score in double figures . Isaiah Thomas chipped in 16 points and nine assists . Miami managed to keep the game close , but eventually caved late in the fourth with a couple of fouls and a missed three - point attempt by Bosh . Usually dominant down low , Hassan Whiteside had an uncharacteristic night with just six points , eight rebounds and three blocks in 26 minutes . The Heat were also short a few bodies with Luol Deng ( hamstring ) , Chris Anderson ( illness ) and Amar'e Stoudemire ( illness ) all out , which forced coach Erik Spoelstra to roll with an eight - man rotation . The Celtics head home to face the Kings on Thursday ; the Heat get Kevin Durant and the Thunder .


The Miami Heat ( 11 - 6 ) edged the Oklahoma City Thunder ( 11 - 8 ) 97 - 95 Thursday . The Heat utilized outstanding ball movement and another vintage performance from Dwyane Wade to stay a step ahead of the high - octane Thunder from the second quarter onward . Miami amassed a total of 25 assists while Wade posted his second outstanding performance over the last four days . After a season - high 30 point effort versus the Celtics Monday , the perennial All-Star provided a game - high 28 - point encore , and added four rebounds , four assists and a steal . He also scored the final eight crucial points of the game for the Heat , including two game - winning free throws with 2 seconds left that he earned by driving hard to the basket on the final possession . The Thunder received typically extraordinary performances from Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant . The offensive linchpins posted a pair of 25 - point efforts , with Westbrook adding seven assists , five rebounds and a steal , and Durant complementing his scoring with nine boards and five dimes . However , the only other double - digit scoring on the night for OKC came from the bench , in the form of a 13 - point effort from Dion Waiters and a 10 - point outing from Enes Kanter . Serge Ibaka and Steven Adams contributed a pair of nine - point efforts and added seven and eight boards , respectively . Andre Roberson could n't help on the scoreboard with only two points , but did haul in nine rebounds . Overall , the Thunder controlled the glass , outrebounding the Heat 44 to 35 in the contest . Oklahoma City fell to 11 - 8 but retains possession of first place in the Western Conference 's Northwest Division . They head home to face the Kings on Sunday . Miami enjoyed double - digit performances from three other starters besides Wade . Chris Bosh had a strong game versus Ibaka , tallying 16 points , eight rebounds , a pair of assists and a pair of steals . Goran Dragic turned in his highest - scoring effort in over two weeks with 14 points , and added seven assists , three rebounds and two steals on a busy night against Westbrook . Hassan Whiteside contributed 11 points and hauled in eight boards , with his customary pair of blocks thrown in for good measure . Josh McRoberts paced the Miami bench with a season - high 12 points , and added four assists and three rebounds . The Heat improved to 11 - 6 and currently reside in first place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They remain home to take on former teammate LeBron James and the Cavaliers in a Saturday night showdown .


The Miami Heat ( 12 - 6 ) handily defeated the powerhouse Cleveland Cavaliers ( 13 - 7 ) on Saturday , winning 99 - 84 . Cleveland star LeBron James was scratched from the lineup just a few hours before game time . Coach David Blatt told the media that he had to `` force the issue `` to get James to take the rest . The 30 - year - old superstar was coming off of a grueling overtime game in New Orleans the night before , so his absence is indicative of the team wanting to preserve their star 's energy . Miami was able to capitalize on King James 's absence , jumping out to a 12 - point lead by the end of the first quarter that they simply would not let go of . Things seemed to be firing on all cylinders for the Heat , as the team shot 54 percent from the field while holding their opponents to a measley 37 percent . Veteran Dwyane Wade and sophomore Tyler Johnson tied for the team lead in scoring , dropping in 19 points apiece . Meanwhile , center Hassan Whiteside , who was averaging a whopping 5 blocks per game coming into the matchup against the Cavaliers , continued his historic shot - blocking season , posting five blocks despite logging just 21 minutes . The Cavaliers , meanwhile , saw numerous underwhelming performances . All-star Kevin Love was held to just 2 - of - 11 from the floor , recording just five points . Shooting guard J.R. Smith also exhibited questionable shot selection at times , finishing just 4 - for - 12 . Ultimately , it simply was not Cleveland 's night . They will hope to fare better with a well - rested LeBron James as they take on the Trail Blazers on Tuesday . The Heat , on the other hand , will look to build upon the blowout of the Cavs . Their next matchup is at home on Monday against the Wizards .


The Washington Wizards ( 9 - 10 ) defeated the Miami Heat ( 12 - 7 ) 114 - 103 on Monday . It 's been an up - and - down season for the Wizards , but they 've now surprisingly handed two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference rare home losses . After having tripped up the Cavs at Quicken Loans Arena on Dec. 1 , Washington pulled away from Miami in the final period Monday to hand the Heat only their fourth defeat at American Airlines Arena . Just as in their upset of Cleveland , the Wizards benefited from a stellar performance from their offensive linchpin John Wall , who managed 26 points , seven assists , a rebound and a steal , despite coming into the game nursing a sore knee . The visitors also got 21 points from Wall 's backcourt mate Bradley Beal , who added four assists , three rebounds and a steal . Otto Porter pitched in with his third straight strong performance , tallying a 13 - point , 14 - rebound double - double . Jared Dudley contributed 12 points , four rebounds , an assist and a steal , an effort that included two three - pointers . Gary Neal ( 21 points ) and Ramon Sessions ( 12 points ) were highly efficient off the bench , with the former overcoming a groin injury to post his third consecutive double - digit scoring game . The Wizards improved to 9 - 10 but still reside in last place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They head home for a showdown with the Houston Rockets on Wednesday . The Heat was unable to keep pace with Washington despite superb efforts from their backcourt duo of Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade . Dragic , who 's struggled to score the majority of the season , managed a season - high 20 points . It marked the third consecutive game with double - digit points for the eight - year veteran , who appears to be finding his way in Miami 's offensive system . Meanwhile , Wade came within an assist of his first double - double on the season , totaling 26 points , nine dimes , seven rebounds and a steal . Chris Bosh was ejected with 28 seconds left for arguing with the officials , but pitched in with his own near double - double , amassing 18 points , nine rebounds , four assists , a pair of blocks and a steal . Hassan Whiteside 's 14 points , four rebounds and three blocks and Gerald Green 's nine points rounded out solid performances from the starters , while Josh McRoberts paced the Miami bench with nine points , a pair of rebounds , an assist and a steal . Miami fell to 12 - 7 but retains control of first place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division by a half - game . They travel to Charlotte for a showdown with the second - place Hornets on Wednesday .


The Miami Heat ( 13 - 9 ) defeated the Memphis Grizzlies ( 13 - 12 ) 100 - 97 on Sunday . Memphis came into American Airlines Arena using a small lineup in which Marc Gasol 's front court partner , Zach Randolph , came off the bench in favor of Jeff Green and Matt Barnes . Green played nearly 45 minutes , adding 26 points , two rebounds and three assists , and led all scorers in the losing effort . The Grizzlies played possession basketball and slowed the game down to a physical battle below the rim . Gasol contributed 12 points , seven rebounds and four assists , while Randolph completed 66 percent of his shots for 12 points , six rebounds and four assists in 26 minutes . Matt Barnes added a double - double with 13 points and 13 rebounds . Memphis had a chance to tie the game on the final possession , but a mistimed pass from Mike Conley to Marc Gasol resulted in a turnover , eventually sending Justise Winslow to the free throw line where he extended the lead to three points . Mike Conley came a few inches away on a 55 foot hail mary with 1 left , but the miracle did not come to fruition . Dwyane Wade turned in a vintage performance with five minutes left in the game , where the three time NBA champion drove the lane for a clutch layup and followed up with the go ahead midrange jumper to put the Heat up 98 - 97 with under 24 seconds left . Wade finished with 14 points , four rebounds and two assists on 7 - of - 16 shooting . Hassan Whiteside , the NBA 's leader in blocks , was unable to register a stat in that category , but still added nine points and 11 rebounds in 28 minutes . Chris Bosh led all Miami scorers with 22 points and shot lights out from the floor ( 7 - of - 10 ) , to go along with four rebounds and two assists . The Heat continue to dominate on their home court , where they are now 11 - 4 on the year . Both teams play the second game of a back - to - back on Monday , with the Heat visiting the Atlanta Hawks ( 14 - 11 ) and the Grizzlies hosting the Washington Wizards ( 10 - 12 ) .


The Toronto Raptors ( 17 - 11 ) defeated the Miami Heat ( 15 - 10 ) by a score of 108 - 94 , Friday night in Miami . The game was tight in the beginning , with Miami up five going into the half . Toronto came out of the dressing room ready to compete and outscored the Heat 58 - 39 the rest of the way . This was a big win for the Raptors who were coming off losses to two top Eastern teams , Indiana and Charlotte . The Raptors would have been asking questions had they lost this one too , however they managed to snap the Heat 's three - game winning streak and get back on track with the W. Toronto shot strong percentages all around , going 51 percent from the field , 81 percent from the free throw line and a better - than - average 38 percent from the beyond the arc . The Raptors also took care of the ball very well , only giving up seven turnovers on the game . DeMar DeRozan made sure his team did not drop three straight by offering up 30 points on strong shooting ( 10 - 17 FG , 10 - 13 FT ) . DeRozan also logged four rebounds , four assists and two steals , in a hefty 40 minutes . Kyle Lowry was big as well with 21 points , four assists , three rebounds and four steals , in 37 minutes . Luis Scola chipped in 20 points of his own , on 9 - 16 shooting . Terrence Ross was efficient off the bench with 17 points ( 6 - 9 FG , 5 - 8 3Pt ) . DeMarre Carroll remained out with a knee contusion . Miami shot the ball reasonably well but lost the rebounding battle and also gave up six more turnovers than their competition , a combination that will not lead to many wins . Dwyane Wade led the Heat in scoring with 21 points ( 8 - 16 FG , 5 - 5 FT ) , along with six assists and four rebounds . Wade however gave up eight turnovers , in 31 minutes . Gerald Green gave the Heat a great spark off the bench , as usual , finishing with 20 points . Green shot a blistering 5 - 10 from beyond the arc and went 7 - 15 over - all from the field . Goran Dragic contributed a healthy 18 points ( 8 - 13 FG , 2 - 3 FT ) , five assists and two rebounds in 33 minutes . Josh McRoberts remained out with a sore knee . Next Miami will host the Trail Blazers on Sunday . The Raptors will be back at home to host the Kings on Sunday , after going 1 - 2 on their road trip .


The Miami Heat ( 16 - 10 ) defeated the Portland Trail Blazers ( 11 - 18 ) 116 - 109 on Sunday . The Trail Blazers ' frontcourt defense has been an Achilles ' heel all season long , and the Heat were able to exploit the glaring weakness on the way to a high - scoring victory on Sunday . Miami rode a pair of double - doubles from their two big men to victory , with Chris Bosh ( 29 points , six rebounds , four assists and two steals ) and Hassan Whiteside ( 22 points , 11 rebounds , one assist , five blocks and two steals ) both posting their best all - around performances in over a month . The home team also clamped down on defense in the second half , allowing only 47 points following intermission after surrendering 62 in the first half . The visitors were unsurprisingly led by Damian Lillard , who tallied 32 points , nine assists , two rebounds and a steal . Lillard 's success rate from the field ( 56 percent ) was his best since a 56 percent figure on Nov. 2 against the Timberwolves . Backcourt mate C.J . McCollum pitched in with 20 points , six assists and three rebounds , while Al-Farouq Aminu ( 16 points , four rebounds , two assists , three steals ) and Miles Plumlee ( 11 points , seven rebounds , two assists ) were the other two members of the starting five with notable contributions . Meyers Leonard and Allen Crabbe paced the Portland bench with a pair of eight - point efforts . The Trail Blazers fell to 11 - 18 and currently reside in last place in the Western Conference 's Northwest Division . They head to Atlanta to face off against the Hawks on Monday . Dwyane Wade ( 18 points , seven assists , two rebounds , two steals ) and Luol Deng ( 17 points , two rebounds and an assist ) supported the outstanding efforts of Whiteside and Bosh . The point total for Deng largely consisted of the season - high five three - pointers that he drained on the afternoon . The Heat also received excellent production off the bench from Gerald Green , who poured in 17 points and helped make up for some of the offensive shortfall that resulted from the ejection of point guard Goran Dragic early in the fourth quarter for arguing calls with the referees . Miami improved to 16 - 10 and remains in first place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They face off against the Pistons at American Airlines Arena on Tuesday .


The Detroit Pistons ( 17 - 12 ) defeated the Miami Heat ( 16 - 11 ) 93 - 92 on Tuesday . The game was a testament to the perseverance and marksmanship of the visiting Pistons , who shook off a 34 - 18 first - quarter explosion by the Heat that had the home crowd buzzing . Detroit returned the favor by incredibly doubling up Miami in the second period , 36 - 18 , on the strength of a barrage of three - point shots . While the Heat did an excellent job of completely taking Andre Drummond out of the equation early , the Pistons simply responded with outstanding perimeter shooting . Somewhat surprisingly , it was the likes of reserves Stanley Johnson , Anthony Tolliver and Steve Blake that led the way in the three - point department , helping propel the visitors to a tally of 10 long - range buckets in the first half . Overall , Detroit posted a stellar 52 percent figure from beyond the arc , outscoring Miami 45 - 12 in that category . Reggie Jackson paced Detroit with 18 points , five rebounds , three assists and a steal , while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had a slow first half before draining some crucial buckets when it mattered most . The shooting guard 's three - pointer with two minutes left helped give Detroit a 91 - 89 lead , and his jumper with 56 seconds remaining put the Pistons ahead to stay . Meanwhile , Drummond shook off the aforementioned slow start to tally an 11 - point , 12 - rebound double - double , his fourth straight . Johnson ( 14 points , four three - pointers ) , Blake ( 12 points , four three - pointers ) and Tolliver ( nine points , three - three pointers ) made timely and essential contributions off the bench , with the latter two combining for a trio of particularly important treys early in the fourth period that helped the Pistons eventually overcome what was a seven - point Heat lead at the time . Detroit improved to 17 - 12 and is currently in a second - place tie with Indiana in the Eastern Conference 's Central Division . They travel to Atlanta to face the Hawks on Wednesday . The Heat received a mammoth double - double from Hassan Whiteside ( 16 points , 16 rebounds ) , who outplayed Drummond after the latter had hauled in 20 rebounds in their initial meeting this season . Chris Bosh posted a game - high 20 points , and added three rebounds and two assists , while fellow veteran Dwyane Wade had a fourth straight strong performance with 19 points , five rebounds , an assist and a steal . Beno Udrih , acquired earlier in the season from the Grizzlies , turned in a highly productive performance in his first Miami start , managing 14 points , six assists and three rebounds . The veteran got the call in Goran Dragic 's stead , who was sidelined with multiple hand injuries . Gerald Green paced the Heat bench , but did so with a modest eight points . As a team , Miami was considerably less aggressive and effective than Detroit from long range , sinking only four of their 18 three - point attempts . The Heat fell to 16 - 11 and are now in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They remain home for a Christmas Day showdown with the New Orleans Pelicans .


The Miami Heat ( 17 - 11 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 9 - 20 ) 94 - 88 on Friday . The Christmas Day schedule tipped off with an overtime thriller showcasing some of the NBA 's biggest stars . Anthony Davis was tasked with the heaviest workload of any Pelican , and turned in 29 points , 15 rebounds , four assists , four steals and three blocks on 13 - of - 29 shooting . The Kentucky product missed what would have been the game winning shot as time expired in the 4th quarter . The valiant effort was not enough to capture a victory , and the Heat locked down Davis in overtime to prevent the former No . 1 overall pick from taking over . Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon pitched in on the offensive end , scoring 18 points and 16 points , respectively , but the remainder of the New Orleans roster struggled to help in that department . Alonzo Gee finished the night with zero points , Omer Asik scored two points and Tyreke Evans added six points , rounding out the starters low scoring affair . The Pelicans will look to bounce back when they host the Houston Rockets ( 15 - 15 ) on Saturday . Chris Bosh led all scorers with 30 points , to go along with 10 rebounds and three assists on 11 - of - 25 shooting , marking Bosh 's second 30 - point effort in the season . Dwyane Wade was able to close out the game from the free throw line and finished with 19 points , six rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes . Hasan Whiteside dominated the glass in the first half , totalling 13 rebounds before the break , and completing the afternoon with 17 boards alongside eight points and four blocks . Whiteside leads the NBA in blocks with 4 per game , and is also amongst the best rebounders , pulling down 11 boards , good for fourth in the league . Miami shot just 40 percent from the floor as a unit , and a rough 23 percent from deep , but the strong defensive effort paid off in the overtime period as they pulled out a Christmas Day win . The Heat will take the short road trip and face the Orlando Magic ( 17 - 12 ) on Saturday .


The Brooklyn Nets ( 9 - 22 ) defeated the Miami Heat ( 18 - 12 ) 111 - 105 on Monday . The win was an improbable one to say the least , as the Nets had only managed two victories away from the Barclays Center this season . Meanwhile , Miami had defended its home court well , having posted a 13 - 6 record at the American Airlines Arena coming into tonight 's contest . However , Brooklyn was able to escape the Magic City with a hard - fought win thanks to an outstanding shooting night overall , and the surprise contributions off the bench from Wayne Ellington in particular . The former Laker exploded with a 26 - point night ( 23 after halftime ) after opening the second half in the starting lineup , and posted a scorching 7 - for - 9 tally from beyond the arc . The Nets shot a solid 44 percent from the field , but a stellar 52 percent from three - point range , thanks in large part to Ellington 's performance . The steady barrage of scoring was needed , as the Heat bounced back from a 34 - 19 third - quarter thrashing by the visitors , which in turn had erased a 16 - point Miami advantage , to make things interesting in the final period . Although Ellington 's scoring total paced the Brooklyn bench , Brook Lopez was able to equal him on the starter 's end . The veteran big man also hauled in 12 boards to make it a second straight double - double . Jarrett Jack enjoyed a solid night against the tough defense of Goran Dragic , managing 18 points and adding six assists , four rebounds and a pair of steals . Thaddeus Young had a quiet game by his recent standards , but still pitched in with 11 points , six boards and three steals . Bojan Bogdanovic ( nine points , six rebounds ) and Joe Johnson ( four points , six rebounds , four assists ) rounded out a stat - sheet - stuffing night for the Nets ' starting five . Brooklyn improved to 9 - 22 and remains in fourth place in the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division . They head to Orlando to take on the Magic on Wednesday . The Heat were spearheaded by a pair of 24 - point efforts from their two stalwarts , Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade . Bosh also hauled in 12 boards , making it a third straight double - double , and giving him an outstanding 25 scoring average over his last five games . Hassan Whiteside took advantage of the defensively - challenged Lopez to collect his own matching set of double - digit points and rebounds , amassing 18 on the scoreboard and securing 11 boards . Luol Deng poured in 15 points , and Goran Dragic filled out the stat sheet with nine points , five assists , three rebounds and a pair of steals . The Heat fell to 18 - 12 and are now half a game behind the Atlanta Hawks for first place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They head to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies on Tuesday .


The Miami Heat ( 19 - 13 ) defeated the Dallas Mavericks ( 19 - 14 ) 106 - 82 on Friday . Perennial All-Star Dwyane Wade was not expected to play after experiencing flu - like symptoms Friday afternoon . However , the veteran decided to tough things out and remain active in a reserve role , in an effort to help the Heat put a halt to a recent cold spell that had seen them lose three of their last five contests . The move paid off , as the 33 - year - old collected 10 points , seven assists , two rebounds and a steal over just 19 minutes off the bench . Miami was able to dominate the contest with outstanding shooting and highly productive performances from their starters as well , as they tallied an impressive 56 shooting percentage from the field , and a solid 44 percent from beyond the arc . Meanwhile , their suffocating defense stymied Dallas to the tune of 36 and 23 percent tallies , respectively , in those categories . As evidenced by the final score and the aforementioned team shooting figures , the Mavericks obviously had significant trouble making a dent on the scoreboard , and their top scorer netted only 14 points . That player was surprisingly Zaza Pachulia , who did also add 13 rebounds , an assist , a steal and a block . Wesley Matthews ( 12 points , four rebounds and an assist ) and Dirk Nowitzki ( 11 points , three rebounds , an assist and a steal ) were the only other starters in double figures points - wise , while Charlie Villanueva and Deron Williams led the reserves with a pair of nine - point efforts . J.J. Barea , drawing the start for Williams , could only contribute six points and five assists . Dallas dropped to 19 - 14 and currently resides in second place in the Western Conference 's Southwest Division . They head home to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday . The Heat 's starting five was spearheaded by a monster double - double from Hassan Whiteside that was reminscent of many of his dominant performances from his breakout 2014 - 15 campaign . The four - year pro managed 25 points and a season - high 19 rebounds , along with a block . Chris Bosh poured in 16 points and added seven rebounds and four assists , while Goran Dragic continued his recent stretch of solid offensive play with 15 points , seven assists , four rebounds and three steals . In addition to Wade 's strong performance off the bench , Gerald Green made a splash with a 19 - point , three - rebound , two - assist effort over 33 minutes that paced the Miami reserves . While Tyler Johnson ( eight points , three rebounds ) drew the start in Wade 's stead , Green got hot from the field and received some extra run as a result . The Heat improved to 19 - 13 and have vaulted into second place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division by virtue of their victory and the Magic 's loss to the Wizards earlier in the evening . They now hit the road to face off against the Wizards on Sunday .


It took overtime for the Miami Heat ( 21 - 13 ) to defeat the Indiana Pacers ( 19 - 15 ) by a score of 103 - 100 , Monday night in Miami . Coming into this game the Pacers were 20 in the season series against the Heat and it looked like they would get their third win of the series as they were up by 18 with five minutes to go in the third . However , Miami put on their rally caps and came all the way back to take their first lead with about three and a half minutes to go in the fourth . After a dramatic final 58 seconds the Heat found themselves down by two , with two seconds left and a side inbound . Dwyane Wade then swerved his way to the basket for a buzzer - beating , game - tying lay - up . The Heat finished the job with a solid overtime period . Wade finished the game with 27 points ( 9 - 22 FG , 9 - 10 FT ) , eight rebounds and three assists , in 37 minutes . Chris Bosh tallied an impressive 31 points ( 8 - 20 FG , 2 - 6 3Pt , 13 - 16 FT ) and 11 rebounds , in 41 minutes . Goran Dragic chipped in 13 points , five rebounds and four assists , in 38 minutes . Chris Andersen started in place of Hassan Whiteside , who sat this one out with a sore knee , but did not contribute significantly . Miami took good care of the ball , giving up only eight turnovers in the game . The Heat were playing on the second night of a back - to - back and are now 30 in 2016 . Indiana 's George Hill sat this one out due to food poisoning and in his place Monta Ellis started at point guard . Ellis had a solid performance , with 17 points ( 8 - 17 FG ) , nine assists and three rebounds , in 41 minutes . Paul George continued his stellar performance in games against the Heat this season , as he finished with 32 points ( 12 - 29 FG , 5 - 13 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) , seven rebounds , two assists and two steals , in 41 minutes . Jordan Hill notched a double - double in 20 minutes off the bench , with 10 points and 12 rebounds . C.J . Miles started after missing games with a shoulder injury , however he only played seven minutes , indicating he is not yet 100 percent . Next the Pacers will play the second game of their current four - game road trip on Wednesday , in Orlando . The Heat will host the New York Knicks on Wednesday for another marquee Eastern Conference match - up .


The New York Knicks ( 18 - 19 ) took down the Miami Heat ( 21 - 14 ) on Wednesday , 98 - 90 , in a battle of two of the Eastern Conference 's most improved teams . The Knicks became the first team in the league to match their win total from 2014 - 15 on Tuesday , as defeated the Hawks for their 17th win of the season . New York has now won three in a row , and sits just one game shy of .500 . The Knicks ' efforts were bolstered , as always , by the play of superstar Carmelo Anthony . After posting a big double - double in Atlanta , Melo continued to shine as he dropped in 25 points to go with five rebounds and four assists . Offseason acquisition Robin Lopez also posted an impressive 19 points on 9 - for - 12 shooting . Highly-publicized rookie Kristaps Porzingis , however , had an underwhelming night , posting just 10 points and four rebounds on 3 - of - 10 shooting . The rookie got off to a ridiculously hot start to the season , but slowed down a bit starting in early December . The Heat had been carrying a three game win - streak headed into their matchup against New York . Miami , who missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years last season , now sits well above .500 and leads the Southeast Division . Perennial All-Star Chris Bosh lit it up for Miami against New York , knocking down 12 shots for 28 points . Ultimately , Bosh 's efforts were n't enough for the Heat to get past Melo and the Knicks , however . Miami will look to turn things around on Friday as they travel to Phoenix to take on the struggling Suns . For the Knicks , on the other hand , maintaining the win streak will be difficult , as they travel to San Antonio on Friday to face off against the Spurs . San Antonio remains a perfect 200 at home .


The Milwaukee Bucks ( 19 - 25 ) defeated the Miami Heat ( 23 - 19 ) 91 - 79 on Tuesday . The Bucks still sport a disappointing record , but have slowly begun piling up victories against some superior teams . Last week saw Milwaukee rattle off wins against the likes of the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks , as well as the talented but underachieving Charlotte Hornets . A new week started with more of the same , as Milwaukee exploited a depleted Heat squad by scoring an impressive road triumph at the American Airlines Arena , where Miami had tallied a 15 - 8 record coming into tonight 's contest . The same formula that 's largely spearheaded the Bucks ' recent successes - - leaning on the talented triumverate of Khris Middleton , Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greg Monroe - - worked well again Tuesday , and proved pivotal in helping the visitors keep their momentum going . Middleton put together his seventh 20 - point - plus performance in the last eight games , tallying 22 points , seven rebounds , seven assists and a pair of steals . Greg Monroe extended a notable streak himself , posting a sixth straight double - double with 15 points , 10 rebounds , an assist and a block . Meanwhile , the Greek Freak contributed 14 points , six rebounds , four assists and a block . With his talented teammates putting together such productive performances , Antetokounmpo only needed to take 10 shot attempts on the night . Jerryd Bayless paced the Milwaukee bench with 11 points , three rebounds , three assists and a steal . The Bucks improved to 19 - 25 and currently reside in last place in the Eastern Conference 's Central Division . They now head to Houston to take on the Rockets in a Friday showdown . Miami put together a valiant effort with somewhat of a rag - tag lineup , and Hassan Whiteside did his best to put the offense on his shoulders . The four - year pro registered his fourth straight double - double with 23 points , 18 rebounds , an assist and a pair of blocks . Chris Bosh , the next healthiest talented Heat player at the moment , matched Whiteside 's scoring output and added five boards , two assists and a steal . Luol Deng was the only other member of the Miami roster with double - digit scoring , totaling 11 points , four rebounds and two assists . The ailing Dwyane Wade , he of the two sore shoulders , could only tally a season - low two points over 21 minutes , while Tyler Johnson pitched in three points , four rebounds , an assist and a pair of steals . Amar'e Stoudemire and Gerald Green paced the Heat bench with a pair of modest six - point efforts . Miami fell to 23 - 19 , their fifth loss in the last six games . They currently reside in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division and now head to Washington to take on the Wizards in a Wednesday showdown .


The Miami Heat ( 27 - 21 ) defeated the visiting Atlanta Hawks ( 27 - 22 ) 105 - 87 , Sunday night at American Airlines Arena . The division - rival Heat and Hawks came into this game neck - and - neck in the Eastern Conference standings . With this win Miami overtakes Atlanta for fourth in the standings and also as Southwest Division leader . Both teams saw their streaks extended with this result . Miami has now won a season - high four straight , while Atlanta has dropped three . The Hawks are 2 - 19 when held under 97 points and have struggled lately , winning only one of their last six games . Miami got out to a great start , shooting 52 percent from the field in the first half . They led by 13 at halftime and stayed on top for the remainder of the contest . Chris Bosh led Miami in scoring with 18 points ( 6 - 14 FG , 2 - 4 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) , along with seven rebounds and two assists , in 33 minutes . Dwyane Wade tallied 17 points ( 5 - 12 FG , 7 - 8 FT ) , eight assists and four rebounds , in 28 minutes . Amar'e Stoudemire started in place of Hassan Whiteside , who missed his sixth game with a sore hip . Stoudemire was solid with 13 points ( 5 - 8 FG , 3 - 4 FT ) , 12 rebounds and three steals , in 21 minutes . The Hawks struggled shooting in the first half , hitting only 28 percent from the field . They improved slightly the rest of the way , hitting 38 percent in the game . Paul Millsap was in action after being questionable due to a sore ankle . Millsap led the Hawks in scoring along with Al Horford , as they both tallied 17 points . Millsap added five rebounds , two steals and one assist , while Horford added four rebounds , two assists , two blocked shots and one steal . Jeff Teague struggled from the field , hitting only 3 - 11 and 0 - 5 from long range . Teague finished with 15 points , six assists , two steals and one block , before fouling out with four minutes left in the game . The Hawks will be right back in action on Monday , when they host the Dallas Mavericks . The Hawks will be looking to snap a three - game losing streak . The Heat will have a day off before initiating a three - game road trip with a match in Houston on Tuesday .


The Los Angeles Clippers ( 34 - 17 ) defeated the Miami Heat ( 29 - 23 ) 100 - 93 on Sunday . In a game full of All-Stars , all the studs shot poorly . All three players who were voted into this year 's All-Star game took at least 17 shots and all three shot 35 percent or below from the field . That killed Miami all - around as well , with the team combining to shoot below 40 percent in the defeat . The turnovers were huge , with the Clippers forcing 13 turnovers , while committing just seven of their own . The Clippers continue to play good ball , as they won this game as a road underdog . Chris Paul was the star for Los Angeles , as he scored 22 points and dished out seven assists in the win , despite shooting 8 - for - 23 from the field . Jamal Crawford scored 20 points once again , which marked his fourth - straight time doing that off the bench . The Clippers have a short turnaround , as they play the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday in their next game . Miami simply could n't buy a shot and it was amazing they hung around as long as they did . Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh scored 17 points each , but combined to shoot 12 - for - 37 from the field and 7 - for - 12 from the free - throw line . Goran Dragic played well though , as he amassed 17 points of his own , while also handing out five assists and grabbing five boards . It does n't get much easier in the Heat 's next game , as they host the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday .


The San Antonio Spurs ( 44 - 8 ) defeated the Miami Heat ( 29 - 24 ) 119 - 101 on Tuesday . An overmatched Heat squad surprised the Spurs out of the gate , managing to carve out a 24 - 20 lead after the first quarter . The visitors systematically went about their business the rest of the way however , and their top - ranked defense began to exert its will over Miami . San Antonio elicited 18 turnovers from the Heat , and outmuscled them down low . The Spurs outperformed the home team overall on the glass 43 - 31 , and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to Miami 's one . The paint also belonged to San Antonio on Tuesday , where they outscored the Heat by a margin of 58 - 42 . A big reason for the success near the basket came in the form of the Spurs ' leading scorer , LaMarcus Aldridge . The 10 - year veteran continued to resemble the superstar he developed into in Portland , tallying 28 points , four rebounds , four assists and a block . Kawhi Leonard was just a rebound short of a double - double , supplying 23 points , nine boards , four assists , three steals and a block . Danny Green continued his improved play , contributing 15 points , seven rebounds , three assists , three steals and a block . Boban Marjanovic paced the reserves with 11 points , which he supplemented with six boards and a steal . Reserve rookie guard Jonathon Simmons also managed double - digit scoring , contributing 10 points , four rebounds and an assist . San Antonio remains atop the Western Conference 's Southwest Division . They visit Orlando on Wednesday for a date with the Magic . Miami 's attack was spearheaded by Dwyane Wade , who put up 20 points , five assists and a steal against Green 's tough defense a large part of the night . Chris Bosh was right behind with 18 points , five rebounds , a pair of assists and a steal . Luol Deng shook off a pregame illness to pitch in 11 points and a pair of rebounds , while Goran Dragic tallied 10 points of his own and supplemented them with six assists , a rebound and a steal . Hassan Whiteside overcame an ankle injury to post 14 points , six boards and two blocks off the bench over 25 minutes before being ejected early in the final period for elbowing Marjanovic , while Beno Udrih poured in 13 points , dished out three assists and brought in a rebound in a reserve role as well . With the loss , the Heat fell to second place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They 're now off until Friday , February 19th , when they face the first - place Hawks in Atlanta in their first post - All - Star tilt .


The shorthanded Miami Heat ( 31 - 24 ) defeated the tired Washington Wizards ( 25 - 19 ) 114 - 94 on Saturday . Miami has played without its two best players since the All-Star break and is undefeated in the two games since . This marked Washington 's third game in three days and it was obvious the Wizards did n't have their legs underneath them . The Wizards shot 40 percent from the field , 52 percent from the free - throw line and 14 percent from three - point range . The Heat got off to a 30 - 19 start in the first quarter and never looked back after that . One huge key for Miami was the rebounding , as they brought down 67 boards to the Wizards 45 . Playing three games in three days is a rarity is today 's NBA , but a cancellation earlier in the season brought up this unfortunate circumstance for the Wizards . Marcin Gortat recorded yet another double - double , as he amassed 14 points and 13 rebounds in the defeat . Bradley Beal led the team with 19 points , as he came off the bench yet again . The Wizards will have some needed time off before their next game , when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday . Miami played this game without Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and did n't miss a beat . Luol Deng played fantastic , as he tallied 27 points , 10 rebounds and four assists in the win . Goran Dragic also played well , accumulating 24 points , eight assists and seven rebounds . Hassan Whiteside made his return from a one - game suspension and put up a ridiculous 25 - point , 22 - rebound line off the bench . Miami 's next game will be on Monday when they host the Indiana Pacers .


The Miami Heat ( 32 - 24 ) defeated the Indiana Pacers ( 30 - 26 ) in a potential playoff preview matchup Monday at American Airlines Arena , 101 - 93 in overtime . Dwyane Wade sunk a pair of free throws with four seconds left to give Indiana an 88 - 87 lead , but he fouled Monta Ellis on the other end with less than a second remaining to give the Pacers a chance to end it in overtime . Ellis missed the first , however , and the game went to overtime . The Heat sunk the first three field goals of overtime and never trailed in the extra period as they pulled out the victory . Goran Dragic led the Heat with 24 points ( 10 - 17 FG ) and added eight rebounds and five assists . Hassan Whiteside played 41 minutes off the bench and scored 19 points , grabbed 18 rebounds and blocked six shots . Justice Winslow filled up the box score as he earned big minutes in overtime , as he scored 15 points , grabbed seven rebounds , dished four assists and swiped four steals . The Heat pulled off the victory despite awful shooting , as they mustered just 38 - 100 from the floor and 2 - 13 from three - pont land ( 15 percent ) . Paul George led all scorers with 31 points ( 11 - 24 FG , 4 - 7 3PT ) and added 11 rebounds , four assists and three steals . Myles Turner scored 16 points and added five rebounds and two blocks , but fouled out in overtime . Ian Mahinmi was the only other Pacers starter in double figures , as he scored 11 points on 3 - 5 shooting . The Pacers missed nine free throws , including Ellis 's critical last - second front - end miss , and shot just 64 percent ( 16 - 25 ) from the line . The Pacers return home to host the Knicks on Wednesday . The Heat continue their homestand Wednesday against Golden State .


The Golden State Warriors ( 51 - 5 ) outscored the Miami Heat ( 32 - 25 ) 118 - 112 on Wednesday . The entertaining back - and - forth battle got off to a somewhat surprising start , with the Heat jumping on the reigning NBA champs early to take a 30 - 21 lead after one quarter . Golden State won each of the three successive periods however , with their stellar backcourt catching fire . Stephen Curry surpassed the 40 - point mark for only the second time since Dec. 5 , while Klay Thompson broke the 30 - point barrier for the second time in the last three games . Both clubs played each other as closely as the final score indicated , as they were virtually even in several major offensive categories . That parity also extended to the turnover battle , with each team taking care of the ball at a high level . The visitors handed the ball over to Miami a modest 13 times , while the Heat was guilty of only 12 mistakes themselves . Curry 's 42 points paced the Warriors ' attack . He added seven rebounds , seven assists , a steal and two blocks . Thompson was next in line with 33 points , which he supplemented with three rebounds and four steals . With the pair of superstars accounting for well over half of Golden State 's scoring haul on the night , only two other players tallied double - digit points . Harrison Barnes supplied 11 , along with five rebounds , an assist and a steal , while Draymond Green contributed a 10 - point , 11 - rebound double - double that also included three assists and a block . The Warriors remain the top - ranked team in the Western Conference , and also hold the best record in the NBA . They continue their trek through the Sunshine State with a visit to the Orlando Magic on Thursday . The Heat was led by a 32 - point effort from Dwyane Wade , who shook off his troublesome knee to help Miami keep pace . He also dished out seven assists , hauled in three rebounds , and had a steal and a block . Hassan Whiteside continued his stretch of highly impressive play off the bench , collecting 21 points , 13 boards , a steal and a pair of his trademark blocks . It was the 26 - year - old 's third consecutive double - double , which have all come off the bench following his return from a one - game suspension for elbowing the Spurs ' Boban Marjanovic before the All-Star break . Luol Deng , who 's been excellent in his own right while helping fill the void left by Chris Bosh 's ( calf ) absence , turned in a 16 - point , 11 - rebound double - double of his own that also featured three assists , a steal and a block . Goran Dragic was efficient , pitching in 13 points , handing out seven assists and tallying a steal . Second-round pick Josh Richardson got in on the act as well , managing a career - high 15 points , and adding two rebounds , a block and a steal . Miami remains atop the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division and currently holds the fourth seed in the conference . They head to Boston for a showdown with the third - seeded Celtics on Saturday afternoon .


The Miami Heat ( 34 - 26 ) defeated the Chicago Bulls ( 30 - 29 ) 129 - 111 on Tuesday . It 's often said that a change of scenery can do wonders for a player 's outlook and consequently , his performance . Such appears to be the case with Miami 's latest acquisition , 15 - year veteran Joe Johnson . In just his second game in a Heat uniform , Johnson paced the starting unit with 24 points , and added five rebounds , four assists and a block , his second performance of 20 points or more in two games in South Florida . He was an integral part of a historic shooting performance for the home squad , which tallied a 68 percent success rate from the field , including 50 percent from beyond the arc . Not only was it the top team shooting night to date in the 2015 - 16 campaign , but also the 17th - best such effort in the last 50 seasons . The 129 points also represented Miami 's highest scoring tally of the season . Lost in the Heat 's offense 's coming - out party was a pretty fair showing on the scoreboard by the Bulls . Seven Chicago players - - four starters and three reserves - - managed double - digit scoring , led by Derrick Rose 's 17 points . He added three assists and a steal , in his first game back from the hamstring ailment that had caused him to miss the three previous contests . Aaron Brooks followed with a 16 - point performance that paced the Bulls ' bench , and that also included a pair of rebounds and an assist . Pau Gasol was next with a near double - double , registering 15 points , nine boards , six assists and a block . Taj Gibson supplied 13 points , three rebounds , an assist and a steal , while Mike Dunleavy amassed 10 points , two rebounds and an assist . Bobby Portis and Doug McDermott were the other two reserves with double - digit scoring , as they each contributed 11 points . The former also brought down seven boards and recored four steals , while the latter complemented his scoring total with a rebound , an assist and a steal . The Bulls are in third place in the Eastern Conference 's Central Division , and dropped a half - game back of the now eighth - seeded Detroit Pistons with the loss . They head up the road to Orlando for an encounter with the Magic on Wednesday night . With such a prolific showing , the Heat naturally had plenty to be pleased about on the stat sheet . Hassan Whiteside continued to show that perhaps coming off the bench is what best suits him , as he once again paced Miami with a 26 - point , 14 - rebound effort that also included an assist and four blocks . It was notably the sixth straight double - double in his six post - All - Star - break games , all in a reserve role . Johnson was next with his aforementioned 24 - point haul , and he also posted five rebounds , four assists and a block . Luol Deng continued his solid stretch of play , totaling 20 points , four rebounds , two assists and a steal . Dwyane Wade was next in line with 18 points , seven assists and a pair of rebounds , and Goran Dragic was right behind with a 17 - point , 11 - assist double - double that was supplemented with four boards and a steal . Miami sits atop the Eastern Conference 's Southeastern Division , and currently has a hold on the fourth seed in the conference as well . They remain home to face the Phoenix Suns on Thursday .


The Phoenix Suns ( 15 - 46 ) lost for the15th time in their last 16 games Thursday , falling 108 - 92 to the host Miami Heat ( 35 - 26 ) . Miami 's backcourt of Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic combined for 52 points in the contest , dropping in 27 and 25 respectively . Wade also contributed seven assists in what was a resounding victory for the Miami squad . Despite the absence of power forward Chris Bosh , who has been sidelined with blood clots , Miami has held steadily onto fourth place in the Eastern Conference . Nights like Thursday certainly help , as Miami shot exquisitely from the field , posting 48 percent including 53 percent from deep . On Phoenix 's side , meanwhile , rookie Devin Booker scored a career - high 34 points in 39 minutes . The 19 - year - old sharpshooter has made a big splash early on in his NBA career , capturing attention for his lights - out shooting and NBA-ready skill set . Despite being one of the youngest rookies , Booker is now just the second member of the 2015 draft class with multiple 30 - point games , joining first overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns . In the absence of injured stars Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight , the fresh - faced rookie has been handed the reigns to the offense , a role that he embraced with his team - high 21 shot attempts on Thursday . Booker proved himself as a knockdown shooter , hitting 11 of his shots including three three - pointers and also going 9 - for - 9 from the free - throw line . Another young rising star in Phoenix , third - year center Alex Len , played a team - high 40 minutes and recorded a double - double , dropping in 12 points and pulling down 13 rebounds . It was a resounding loss nonetheless for the Suns , who have quickly become the NBA 's coldest team . With Bledsoe and Knight both inactive , Phoenix looks destined to add another high lottery pick to their already young group of players . The Suns will visit Orlando on Friday to face the Magic , while the Heat will travel to Philadelphia to take on the league - worst 76ers .


The Miami Heat ( 37 - 26 ) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers ( 8 - 55 ) 103 - 98 on Sunday . For the second time in three nights , Miami dealt with a short - handed Sixers squad that nevertheless hung with them for four quarters . Philadelphia was once again without its starting frontcourt of Nerlens Noel ( knee ) and Jahlil Okafor ( shin ) , but received strong performances from their replacements , Carl Landry and Jerami Grant . Miami was able to pull away in the last three minutes of the final period with some outstanding defensive work on the part of Hassan Whiteside , who tallied a whopping seven blocks . The Heat equaled their 2014 - 15 win total with the victory , while Philadelphia still has only a pair of triumphs over Eastern Conference rivals this season . The Sixers were led by Ish Smith , who collected 21 points , five assists , four rebounds and a steal over 38 minutes . It was a second consecutive impressive outing for the Philadelphia point guard against one of the toughest units in the league versus the position . Landry was able to avoid the foul trouble that plagued him in the game against the Heat on Friday night , and finished with 18 points , seven rebounds and a steal . Hollis Thompson tallied 16 points and four rebounds in another start at shooting guard . Grant amassed a near double - double , registering nine points , eight boards , two assists and two blocks . Isaiah Canaan paced the reserves with 17 points , four assists and three rebounds , although he did pick up five fouls . Philadelphia continues in last place in the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division . They head back home to face off against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night . Miami was led by a pair of 23 - point efforts from their backcourt duo of Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade . The former supplemented his scoring with eight rebounds and five assists , while the latter also supplied three rebounds , three assists and a pair of steals . Joe Johnson registered 14 points , five rebounds , an assist and a steal , while Luol Deng rounded out a productive night for the starting five with a 12 - point , 14 - rebound double - double that also included four assists , two steals and a block . Whiteside was outstanding once again in pacing the Heat reserves , posting 14 points , 13 rebounds , an assist and the aforementioned seven rejections . The Heat remains in first place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeastern Division , and currently have possession of the fourth seed in the conference as well . They head to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks on Wednesday night .


The Miami Heat ( 39 - 28 ) defeated the Denver Nuggets ( 28 - 39 ) 124 - 119 on Monday . In a game between two teams who play at slow paces , the offenses were on display . Both teams shot over 50 percent from the field , but the Heat put up some gaudy shooting numbers . In fact , Miami went 59 percent from the field , 79 percent from the free - throw line and 47 percent from three - point range . The scoring was extremely even for the Heat , as they had five players who scored between 17 and 20 points in their win . This loss snapped a four - game winning streak for Denver , but it was n't for a lack of effort . They shot 53 percent from the field and outrebounded the Heat in a strong road performance . Emmanuel Mudiay continued his great form , as he accumulated 23 points and 10 assists . Kenneth Faried went a perfect 11 - for - 11 from the field to finish with a 24 - point , 11 - rebound double - double . On deck for Denver is a matchup against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday . No one player on Miami played spectacularly , but this was one of their best team efforts of the season . The bench was especially good , with Justice Winslow leading the team with 20 points off the pine . Hassan Whiteside double - doubled off the bench as well , while scoring 18 points on 6 - for - 7 shooting . Josh Richardson was a huge spark plug off the bench too , as he totaled 17 points , four rebounds , two steals and three blocks in the win . Luol Deng scored 17 , Dwyane Wade scored 18 , and Joe Johnson scored 18 in the victory . Up next for the Heat is a matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 39 - 29 ) picked up a critical road win Thursday against the Miami Heat ( 39 - 29 ) at AmericanAirlines Arena , 109 - 106 . The Heat controlled this one early , as they jumped out to a 45 - 30 lead halfway through the second quarter . But the Hornets chipped away and were able to pull into halftime with a two - point lead . The Hornets led for much of the second half but the game remained close throughout , as Charlotte never held a lead larger than eight points . The Heat pulled within two points with 5:22 to go and within one on a Dwyane Wade layup with 11 seconds to go . But Wade 's three - pointer with 2 seconds went begging , and the Hornets withstood the comeback attempt . Kemba Walker ( 7 - 18 FG , 4 - 9 3PT ) and Al Jefferson ( 10 - 16 FG ) led the Hornets with 21 points apiece . Walker added seven assists and rebounds each , and Jefferson grabbed 10 rebounds for his second double - double in his past four games despite his continued minutes restriction . Nicolas Batum scored 19 ( 7 - 19 FG ) and added seven assists . The Hornets caught fire from three - point land , as they drilled 13 of 26 attempts ( 50 percent ) . Luol Deng 's 22 points for the Heat led all scorers , as he shot 7 - 13 from the floor and knocked down a pair of three - pointers . Josh Richardson scored 18 points , the second - highest outcome of his rookie year , on a brilliant 7 - 9 shooting night ( 3 - 4 3PT ) . Hassan Whiteside scored 17 points and seven rebounds to round out a solid bench effort from the Heat . They shot a brilliant 53 percent from the floor , but committed 15 turnovers , seven more than Charlotte , and their sloppiness cost them . The Heat next host the Cavaliers on Saturday . The Hornets return home for a Saturday matchup against Denver .


The Miami Heat ( 40 - 29 ) handily defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 49 - 20 ) 122 - 101 on Saturday . The Heat ambushed their unsuspecting visitors right from the jump , and kept the foot on the gas the rest of the way . Miami won the first quarter by a margin of 31 - 19 , and had built up a 65 - 44 lead by halftime . They tallied one of their best point totals of the season through superior shooting , as they managed a 55 success rate from the field , and an even more impressive 58 percent figure from beyond the arc . Dwyane Wade stepped up to lead the starters , and Josh Richardson and Hassan Whiteside were outstanding contributors off the bench . LeBron James did manage an impressive effort at the scene of some of his greatest career accomplishments , posting 26 points , three points , three assists and a steal . Kyrie Irving contributed 14 points , four assists and three steals . Richard Jefferson paced the bench with 20 points , four rebounds , an assist and a steal . Matthew Delladedova also managed double - digit scoring off the bench , supplying 10 points , three assists and a rebound . Despite the loss , Cleveland remains atop the Eastern Conference 's Central Division , and the conference as well , albeit by a slim 2 games ahead of the Toronto Raptors . They head back home to face off against the Denver Nuggets on Monday night . Wade totaled 24 points , four rebounds , four assists and a steal . Goran Dragic and Joe Johnson were next with a pair of 18 - point efforts . Dragic also dished out 11 assists , hauled in four rebounds and recorded a steal , while Johnson posted three boards , two assists and two steals . Richardson led the bench with 19 points , two rebounds , two assists , a steal and a block . Whiteside managed a 16 - point , 13 - rebound double - double , which also included two assists and two blocks . Miami is currently in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division , and is presently slotted in the fourth seed as well . They travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans on Tuesday .


The Miami Heat ( 42 - 30 ) defeated the Orlando Magic ( 29 - 43 ) 108 - 97 on Friday . A short - handed Magic squad surprised the Heat in the first half , mounting a 57 - 54 lead by intermission despite missing Nikola Vucevic ( groin ) and the sharpshooting Victor Oladipo , who sat out the game with a wrist injury . However , the tenor of the contest significantly changed in a crucial third quarter , which Miami won going away , 31 - 12 . As has often been the case during Chris Bosh 's extended absence due to blood clots , the duo of Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside stepped up significantly on offense . Both players eclipsed the 20 - point mark , and filled out the other areas of the stat sheet as well against the undermanned Orlando defense . The Magic were led by a strong effort from Evan Fournier , who supplied 20 points , seven rebounds and two assists . Andrew Nicholson was suprisingly right behind him , tallying a bench - leading 19 points , and also contributing six rebounds and an assist . Elfrid Payton followed up his triple - double in Orlando 's last contest versus the Pistons by putting together a 14 - point , seven - rebound , seven - assist stat line . Dewayne Dedmon received another start at center in Vucevic 's absence , and collected 10 points , six rebounds , an assist and a steal . Orlando remains in last place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They 're home against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night . The Heat 's attack was spearheaded by Whiteside , who posted 26 points , 12 rebounds , a steal and five blocks off the bench . Dragic followed closely behind with 22 points , eight assists and four steals . Josh Richardson also made strong contributions in a reserve role , managing 14 points , two rebounds and two assists . Amar'e Stoudemire tallied 13 points , five rebounds and a steal . Luol Deng , who started the day with a questionable designation due to a thigh injury , posted 10 points , 13 boards , five assists , a steal and a block . Miami remains in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division , and has a hold of the fifth seed in the conference as well . They 're home again on Monday versus the Brooklyn Nets .


The Miami Heat ( 43 - 30 ) defeated the Brooklyn Nets ( 21 - 52 ) 110 - 99 on Monday . The Heat saw Goran Dragic get scratched for the starting lineup earlier in the afternoon due to an illness , giving impressive 2015 second - round rookie Josh Richardson another opportunity to shine . The Tennessee product has been productive in multiple appearances off the bench in the latter half of the season , and did not disappoint Monday in his start at point guard . He collected 16 points , five rebounds , three assists , a block and a pair of steals over 38 minutes for his sixth double - digit scoring performance in the last seven contests . Even though he received nominal playing time prior to the All-Star break , Richardson has provided Heat fans and management alike a favorable glimpse of his considerable potential in recent weeks . With Dragic out , it was Dwyane Wade who stepped up to lead the Miami attack . He totaled 30 points , nine assists , two rebounds , two steals and two blocks . Hassan Whiteside made his typically spectacular contributions off the bench , supplying 27 points , eight rebounds , an assist , a steal and a block . Justise Winslow was the only other Heat player to reach double - digit scoring , registering 13 points and three rebounds . The Heat remain in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division , and are currently slotted in the fifth seed as well . They head to Los Angeles to face off against the Lakers on Wednesday night . Brooklyn was paced by Brook Lopez 's 26 points , a total he supplemented with four rebounds and a block . Thaddeus Young checked in behind him with 20 points , nine rebounds , three assists , three steals and a block . No other member of the starting five was able to manage double - digit points , although Shane Larkin did a nice job of filling out the stat sheet in a start at point guard with seven points , eight assists , three rebounds and three steals . Sean Kilpatrick led the reserves with 14 points and three rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench . The Nets remain in fourth place in the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division . They head up the road to Orlando to take on the Magic on Tuesday night .


The Miami Heat ( 45 - 32 ) routed the Detroit Pistons ( 41 - 37 ) Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena , 107 - 89 . Detroit 's offense was sluggish in the first half , as they failed to score 20 points in either of the first two quarters . Miami took advantage , as they built up a 54 - 36 halftime lead and never led by fewer than 13 in the second half . Goran Dragic scored a game - high 22 points as he knocked down all four of his three - point attempts and finished 9 - 15 from the field , and he added eight assists and five rebounds . Josh Richardson ( 6 - 9 FG , 4 - 5 3PT ) and Dwyane Wade ( 5 - 10 FG , 6 - 7 FT ) added 16 points apiece , and Hassan Whiteside added a double - double off the bench with 14 points and 12 rebounds . The Heat were humming offensively , as they shot 52 percent from the floor , 9 - 14 ( 64 percent ) from three , and recorded 22 assists against just nine turnovers . Tobias Harris ( 8 - 10 FG , 5 - 5 FT ) and Reggie Jackson ( 6 - 18 FG , 8 - 8 FT ) paced the Pistons with 21 points apiece . Andre Drummond notched a double - double with 12 points ( 5 - 9 FG , 2 - 6 FT ) and 13 rebounds . But the only other Piston to reach double figures was Aron Baynes with 10 points ( 4 - 6 FG ) in 14 minutes off the bench . The Pistons shot 40 percent as a team and a brutal 5 - 21 ( 24 percent ) from deep , and they managed just 14 assists against 13 turnovers . The Heat continue their homestand Thursday against the Bulls . The Pistons finish a back - to - back Wednesday against the Magic in Orlando .


The Miami Heat ( 46 - 32 ) defeated the Chicago Bulls ( 39 - 40 ) 106 - 98 on Thursday . The Heat 's overall defense , as well as their outstanding shooting in the second half , helped key the victory . Miami held Chicago to a paltry 21 success rate from three - point range , and outscored the visitors by a considerable margin of 65 - 52 over the third and fourth quarters . All five Heat starters , as well as two reserves , managed double - digit scoring , and their second - half scoring haul was the team 's best point total after intermission this season . Chicago was paced by Jimmy Butler , who bounced back from one of the worst performances of his career in his last game to post 25 points , six assists , a rebound and a block . Pau Gasol was next with a 21 - point , 12 - rebound double - double that also included two assists and four blocks . Derrick Rose , still nursing a hyperextended elbow , was able to contribute 17 points , three assists , three rebounds and two steals . Justin Holiday paced the bench with nine points , three assists , two rebounds , two blocks and a steal . The Bulls are now in fourth place in the Eastern Conference 's Central Division , and are three games behind the eighth - seeded Detroit Pistons . They 're home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday . The Heat were led by Dwyane Wade 's 21 points , which he supplemented with five rebounds , four assists and a steal . Joe Johnson was next with 17 points , four assists , three rebounds and a steal . Goran Dragic filled out the stat sheet with 16 points , 12 rebounds , four assists , a steal and a block . Luol Deng finished with 13 points , three assists and two rebounds , while Amare Stoudemire rounded things out for the first unit with 10 points , three rebounds and three steals . As customary , Hassan Whiteside paced the bench , tallying 16 points , 12 rebounds , a steal and a block . Josh Richardson continued his solid rookie season with 11 points , two rebounds and an assist in a reserve role . Miami is now in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division , and is slotted in the fifth seed as well . They head to Orlando to take on the Magic on Friday night .


The Miami Heat ( 47 - 33 ) took care of business in a 118 - 96 win over the Orlando Magic ( 34 - 46 ) on Sunday . This game was meaningful to one team and not the other and that was evident with the on the court result . The Heat just slowly took it to the Magic , as they won all four quarters and took a 20 - point lead into the fourth . Miami 's offense was on point , as they shot 56 percent from the field and recorded 28 assists on their 43 made baskets . Orlando had very little to play for here and they simply did n't play well in this meaningless game . The injuries to Victor Oladipo and Aaron Gordon were a huge difference , as their fill - ins really struggled . Evan Fournier did play well though , as he led the team with 21 points and five assists . Nikola Vucevic had a nice game too , as he totaled 19 points and eight rebounds . Up next for Orlando is a matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday . Miami is only one game out of landing the three - spot in the east and this win was a big step to that goal . Hassan Whiteside got his first start in months and amassed 18 points and 15 rebounds in another dominating performance . Goran Dragic , Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng all scored at least 17 points in their win as well . On deck for Miami is a matchup with the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday .


In their second matchup in three days with the Charlotte Hornets ( 0 - 3 ) , the Atlanta Hawks ( 3 - 1 ) again prevailed , winning 94 - 92 on Sunday . The visiting Hawks received balanced scoring from their starting lineup to guide them to the win column . Point guard Jeff Teague netted 18 points , center Al Horford notched 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds , and forward Paul Millsap scored 13 points to go along with six boards and six assists . The recent play of Kent Bazemore , who has replaced Thabo Sefolosha as the team 's starting shooting guard , has been a key reason behind the Hawks ' success against the Hornets . In those two games , Bazemore has recorded 39 points , including 20 on Sunday . He also made his presence felt on the defensive end , recording three steals and a blocked shot . Though their attempt to claim their first win fell just short , the Hornets were able to set a club record for three - point attempts with 37 in the contest . However , they 're still struggling to find efficiency , as the team shot just 37 percent from the field Sunday . Kemba Walker finished as the team 's leading scorer with 17 points , while Nicolas Batum added 16 points , eight assists , five rebounds , and a pair of blocks and steals . Al Jefferson notched another double - double with 10 points and 10 boards . The Hawks will head to Miami on Tuesday for their next game , while Charlotte hosts the Bulls at home on the same night .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 1 - 3 ) secured their first win of the season in impressive fashion Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls ( 3 - 2 ) , winning 130 - 105 . Charlotte had lost by a combined five points over their last two games to the Atlanta Hawks , but Tuesday 's game was far from a nailbiter . The Hornets jumped out to a 37 - 20 lead after one quarter and held a 22 - point advantage at halftime . They finished the night shooting 52 percent from the field and an eye - popping 14 - for - 23 from behind the three - point arc . Leading the way for the home squad was Jeremy Lamb , who had previously signed a three - year , $ 21 million extension with the club a day earlier . Lamb finished with 20 points off the bench while knocking down 9 - of - 10 shots . Six other players - - Nicolas Batum ( 18 ) , Jeremy Lin ( 15 ) , Al Jefferson ( 14 ) , Kemba Walker ( 13 ) , Spencer Hawes ( 13 ) , and P.J . Hairston ( 10 ) - - reached double figures for Charlotte . The Bulls received their usual solid performance from Jimmy Butler ( 26 points on 10 - of - 16 shooting ) , but failed to get many contributions from the rest of the starting lineup . Derrick Rose was held to just four points in 24 minutes . It marked the first time in his career that he finished with less than 10 points in three consecutive games . Nikola Mirotic also fell back to earth after a hot start to the season , going 2 - for - 11 from the field to finish with five points . Strong showings off the bench from Doug McDermott ( 17 points ) and Aaron Brooks ( 14 points ) at least allowed the Bulls to reach the century mark . Chicago 's next game will come against the Oklahoma City Thunder at home Thursday . The Hornets will also be in action Thursday , as they 'll head to Dallas to face the Mavericks .


The Hornets ( 4 - 4 ) held on to survive the Knicks ( 4 - 5 ) by a score of 95 - 93 at Time Warner Cable Arena on Wednesday . With 2 seconds remaining , Cody Zeller made a nice move to get open on the inbounds and flipped the ball home to give the Hornets a two - point lead . The Knicks thought they had the win when rookie Kristaps Porzingus drained a desperation three - pointer with 0 seconds left , but the shot did n't count . Carmelo Anthony had a chance to win the game , but his shot bounced off the side of the backboard and went back to Charlotte . New York blew a 10 - point lead going into the fourth quarter . Anthony finished with a game - high 29 points ( 12 - 25 FG , 3 - 6 3Pt , 2 - 4 FT ) and is slowly creeping his season average back to where he normally is at . Coach Derek Fisher rolled with a deep lineup again as 12 Knicks saw playing time . Despite the blown lead , New York played solid defense for most of the night - - particularly Robin Lopez , who shut down Al Jefferson . Porzingus had a game - high 15 rebounds to go along with 10 points for his fourth double - double of the season . Trailing by 10 going into the final quarter , the Hornets employed two Jeremy 's - - Lin and Lamb - - off the bench and the duo was able to drag Charlotte back into the game . Lin scored eight of his 17 points in the fourth outplayed Kemba Walker for a second consecutive game . Walker , who finished with nine points ( 2 - 11 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) , was a bit banged up during one of the final possessions of the game . Nicolas Batum had the best night for Charlotte , posting a team - high 24 points ( 10 - 18 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt , 2 - 5 FT ) while pulling down five rebounds over 36 minutes . The Knicks host LeBron James and the Cavaliers on Friday ; the Hornets head to Chicago to take on the Bulls .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 5 - 5 ) took care of the Portland Trail Blazers ( 4 - 7 ) 106 - 94 on Sunday . In a game that was seemingly over at halftime , the Trail Blazers gave the Hornets a late scare . Charlotte outscored Portland by 14 points in the final two quarters and even got the deficit down to six points with three minutes left before the Hornets pulled away late . The difference in this matchup was as simple as shooting , as the Blazers shot just 39 percent , while the Hornets shot just shy of 50 percent . The three - point shooting was bad all - around though , as the teams combined to shoot 14 - for - 52 from long distance . These are teams going in opposite directions right now and this result exemplifies that fact . After a promising start to the season , the Blazers have now lost five - straight games . The losses can be attributed to the poor defense , as Portland have allowed at least 100 points in all five losses . They simply have to rely far too much on their guards to carry the offense and while they can score with anyone , they need some help . Damian Lillard had another good game here , as he tallied 23 points , eight rebounds and five assists in the defeat . C.J . McCollum struggled a bit with his shot , but still totaled 16 points on 5 - of - 18 shooing in the loss . This is a fun and exciting team to watch with their guard - play , but it 's not a recipe for victories with minimal quality post play . Portland will have a quick turnaround as they play the San Antonio Spurs on Monday in the second half of a back - to - back . The Hornets started off the season 0 - 3 , but appear to be a far better team than that by winning five of their last seven since . The recent success correlates with Nicolas Batum 's recent scoring surge , as he is averaging nearly 30 points a game over his last three games . On Sunday , he tallied 33 points , six assists and five rebounds in the win in another fantastic performance . Charlotte also got a great performance from Al Jefferson , who contributed 29 points , five rebounds and three assists in the victory . This is a very talented team and the more they play together , the better they 'll be . The Hornets next matchup will be on Tuesday against the New York Knicks .


The Hornets ( 6 - 6 ) were able to hold on for a 116 - 111 victory against the Nets ( 2 - 10 ) at Time Warner Cable Arena on Wednesday . With the score tied 86 - 86 after the third quarter , Nets coach Lionel Hollins decided to roll with a small lineup featuring Shane Larkin , Jarrett Jack , Markel Brown and Joe Johnson . It backfired , as the Hornets were able to take an eight - point lead and would eventually hold on for the win . Nic Batum led the way for Charlotte , scoring 24 points ( 7 - 12 FG , 3 - 6 3Pt , 7 - 7 FT ) while matching his season high of eight assists . Brooklyn had a chance to win its second straight game , but instead fell further behind in the Eastern Conference standings . Perhaps the difference in the game was the rebounding battle , which the Nets lost 49 to 37 while playing mediocre defense after holding the Hawks to 88 points in Tuesday 's win . Brook Lopez was limited to just five rebounds , shooting 8 - of - 19 from the floor before fouling out in the fourth quarter . Thad Young , who posted a season - high 27 points ( 11 - 17 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 5 - 6 FT ) , scored 15 of his 27 in the third quarter to keep the Hornets from running away with the game . Jack nearly finished with a triple - double , pouring in 16 points with nine assists and eight rebounds over 33 minutes . Charlotte got contributions from everywhere Wednesday night , as seven players finished with double - digit scoring . The guard tandem of Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lin continues to work wonders for coach Steve Clifford , with Walker netting 18 points to go along with seven assists and seven rebounds . Lin came off the bench and scored 13 points over a season - high 29 minutes , pulling down nine rebounds and dishing out four assists for perhaps his most productive game of the season . The Hornets clearly feed off the home crowd , improve to 4 - 1 at TWC Arena this season . The Nets travel to Boston to face the Celtics on Friday ; the Hornets continue a seven - game homestand against the 76ers .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 7 - 6 ) handled the Philadelphia 76ers ( 0 - 13 ) 113 - 88 on Friday . These were two teams going in opposite directions coming into Friday 's game and that fact ended up playing out on the court yet again . It was a 21 - point game at the half and the Sixers could n't really recover after that poor start . The biggest discrepancies in the game were the free - throw shooting and turnovers . Charlotte made 21 - of - 22 free - throws while the Sixers went just 16 - for - 22 and the Hornets won the turnover battle 17 - 11 . It was already ugly for the Sixers , but it 's getting down right atrocious at this point . What 's really hurting this team is their offense , as they rank dead - last in the NBA in scoring and lowered that average here . Philadelphia opted to go with a smaller lineup by bringing Nerlens Noel off the bench , which is a strange move considering he 's arguably their best player . He still played 27 minutes and tallied 16 points and nine rebounds in the loss . The best player for the Sixers on this night was Nik Stauskas , who totaled 15 points , three assists and two rebounds in the defeat . Philadelphia will look to grab that first elusive win in Miami on Saturday against the Heat . The Hornets are quietly one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now , as they have won seven of their last 10 games . Much of that success can be credited to Nicolas Batum , but it was the mainstay combo of Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson who got it done on Friday night . Walker tallied 20 points and seven assists while Jefferson collected 26 points , 10 rebounds and five blocks in the win . Rookie Frank Kaminsky also had his best game in his short career , contributing nine points , three rebounds and three assists in the victory . This is a dangerous team in the East going forward and they look like a threat to make the playoffs and possibly win a game in the postseason for the first time in 14 years . They 'll look to keep up this form against the Sacramento Kings on Monday .


The Hornets ( 8 - 6 ) mounted a huge comeback to defeat the Kings ( 5 - 10 ) 127 - 122 in overtime at Time Warner Cable Arena on Monday . After trailing by 17 points after the third quarter , the Hornets stormed back by outscoring the Kings 38 - 21 in the fourth quarter . Kemba Walker led the way for Charlotte with a season - and game - high 39 points ( 16 - 23 FG , 4 - 6 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) , including the go - ahead basket late in the fourth that nearly won the game had it not been for Rudy Gay 's game - tying alley - oop off an inbounds play with 1 seconds remaining . As if the loss was n't bad enough , the Kings lost DeMarcus Cousins in overtime due to a stiff back . He finished with a team - high 30 points ( 13 - 21 FG , 2 - 6 3Pt , 2 - 4 FT ) and 11 rebounds . Point guard Rajon Rondo set the Kings ' single - game record with 20 assists while adding 14 points , eight rebounds and four steals . He also threw the pass that helped force overtime and has been putting up huge numbers as of late for a Sacramento squad that has been defensively challenged this season . Rondo has four triple - doubles and two double - doubles in his past nine games . It was certainly `` Kemba Time `` in Charlotte on Monday night , as Walker looked like the guard that led UConn to a National Championship . He was able to get pretty much whatever shot he wanted with Rondo and Darren Collison unable to contain him . With the win , the Hornets remained one of the NBA 's best home teams with a 6 - 1 record . Nicolas Batum had an off night shooting the basketball , but nearly contributed a triple - double with the extra frame , finishing with 18 points , 10 rebounds and eight assists over 43 minutes . The Kings wrap up a five - game road trip Wednesday against the Bucks ; the Hornets play the fourth of a seven - game homestand against the Wizards .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 9 - 6 ) defeated the Washington Wizards ( 6 - 6 ) 101 - 87 on Wednesday thanks to a lopsided fourth quarter . The Wizards looked poised to win this game with a double - digit lead late in the third quarter , but just could n't buy a bucket in the fourth . In fact , the Wizards were an atrocious 1 - for - 20 from the field in the fourth quarter and were outscored 27 - 6 . Some other big differences in the game was that the Hornets out - rebounded and out - assisted the Wizards by substantial margins . The Wizards were playing well through three quarters , but it all unraveled after that . They absolutely collapsed over the final 12 minutes , as they made one basket and were outscored by 21 points . Washington was led by Marcin Gortat , who tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds in the defeat . They also got a nice performance from Gary Neal , who dropped 18 points off the bench . This was a collapse of epic proportions and it remains to be seem how this Wizards team will bounce back after a game like this . They 'll look to rebound on Friday when take on the Boston Celtics . The Hornets have been playing some of the best basketball in the NBA as of late and this epic comeback shows how gritty they can be . Charlotte ended the game on a 22 - 2 run and held the Wizards to one measly basket in the final 12 minutes . The two stars on this evening were Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lamb . Batum totaled 16 points , 11 assists and seven rebounds in the win , while Lamb provided 18 points and seven rebounds off the bench . The Hornets have now won four - straight and nine of their last 12 . Skeptics were unsure what to think of this team at the beginning of the season , but they are proving to be a true threat in the East at this juncture . They 'll need to keep up this form , as they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday in their next scheduled game .