The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Orlando Magic , 94 - 88 , at Philips Arena on Sunday . In a battle between two bottom dwellers , Atlanta was able to prevail thanks to a big first half . In fact , a 35 - 25 second quarter in advantage of Atlanta really set the tone , as they carried a 13 - point lead into the half and never trailed in the second half . The shooting disparity was critical , as Atlanta shot 48 percent from the field while holding Orlando to just 34 percent . Rebounding was also huge , with the Hawks winning that battle , 52 - 41 . Ball movement was also a huge factor , with Atlanta recording 33 assists and Orlando handing out just 19 . The Hawks won despite attempting just one free - throw attempt , the lowest total from any team all season . The Magic ( 22 - 54 ) were led by D.J . Augustin , as he tallied 20 points , seven rebounds and three assists . Jonathan Issac totaled 15 points and four rebounds . Nikola Vucevic went just 3 - of - 19 from the field but still finished with 10 points , 14 rebounds , three assists and three blocks . Aaron Gordon amassed 10 points , seven rebounds and three assists . The Hawks ( 22 - 55 ) were led by Dewayne Dedmon , as he accrued 17 points , 10 rebounds and three assists . John Collins generated 10 points , 11 rebounds and two blocks . Tyler Dorsey led the bench with 19 points and two assists . Mike Muscala provided 13 points , 10 rebounds and three assists off the bench as well . On deck for Atlanta is a road matchup versus the Miami Heat on Tuesday . Orlando also returns to action on Tuesday , as they travel to face the New York Knicks .


The Miami Heat defeated the Atlanta Hawks , 115 - 86 , at Philips Arena on Wednesday evening . The Heat ( 42 - 36 ) came into Wednesday 's contest looking to make it two wins in two nights against the hapless Hawks ( 22 - 57 ) , which they 'd upended by a 101 - 98 score on Tuesday in Miami to clinch a playoff spot . It would have likely to blame the visitors if they came out a bit flat as a result , especially with Goran Dragic sitting with an ankle injury . Matters seemingly played out that way in the first quarter , with Atlanta taking a 29 - 23 lead in the first 12 minutes . However , it was all Heat from that point forward , as they hit or eclipsed 30 points in each of the last three periods while allowing their hosts no more than 21 points in any one quarter . The disparity lead to a comfortable and runaway victory for Miami , which produced identical 45 percent tallies from the floor and three - point range . Josh Richardson and Kelly Olynyk led the way for the Heat with matching 19 - point efforts , with the latter notably notching 15 of his on five three - pointers in the second quarter . Richardson added four rebounds , two assists , four blocks and three steals , while Olynyk also supplied eight rebounds and five assists . Justise Winslow turned in 18 points , five assists and one rebound . Rodney McGruder drew the start at shooting guard with Tyler Johnson sliding over to point guard in Dragic 's place , and he produced 14 points , two boards , one assist and one steal . Wayne Ellington poured in 11 points off the bench and also ripped down three rebounds and recorded one steal . Derrick Jones , Jr. went for 10 points , four boards and one assist . Johnson collected just six points , two rebounds , two assists and one block over 23 minutes . Hassan Whiteside totaled a modest four points but did haul in 13 rebounds , dish out two assists and post three blocks . Taurean Price paced the Hawks with 20 points , a total he supplemented with four assists , one rebound and one steal . Damion Lee delivered 15 points , four boards , one assist and one steal . Tyler Dorsey matched Lee 's scoring total while leading the bench and also offered five rebounds , one assist and two steals . John Collins managed a full line of nine points , eight rebounds , four assists and one block . Dewayne Dedmon pitched in six points , eight boards and two assists . The Heat 's next stop is in the Big Apple , where they 'll face off with the New York Knicks on Friday night . The Hawks hit the road themselves and land in the Nation 's Capital , where they 'll tangle with the Washington Wizards on Friday evening , as well .


The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Atlanta Hawks,121 - 113 , at Philips Arena on Tuesday evening . The 76ers ( 51 - 30 ) came into the contest with perhaps a bit more motivation than a team that already has a postseason spot well in hand , as they were looking to set a franchise record by extending their winning streak to 15 games . However , they were facing a Hawks ( 24 - 58 ) team that was coming off a pair of victories over a couple of other Eastern Conference playoff teams in the Wizards and Celtics . Accordingly , Atlanta came out ready to compete , and they trailed by a very manageable 65 - 61 score at halftime . However , Philadelphia was determined to keep their extended stretch of success unblemished , and they were able to stave off a late surge by the home squad in the fourth quarter to secure the win . The Sixers held sizable advantages in both shooting and rebounding , as they drained 49 percent of their attempts while holding the Hawks to a 42 percent figure and also won the battle on the glass by a 54 - 39 margin . J.J. Redick spearheaded the Sixers with 28 points , a total he supplemented with five assists and four rebounds . Dario Saric exited the game after suffering a lip laceration in a collision with John Collins 13 seconds into the contest , so Ersan Ilyasova played a full load of minutes and posted 26 points , eight rebounds , two assists , two blocks and one steal . Marco Belinelli poured in 20 points and added four rebounds , one steal and one block . Amir Johnson posted 15 points , eight boards , five assists and one steal . Ben Simmons overcame an illness to turn in 14 points , 10 rebounds , six assists , two steals and one block . Robert Covington mustered six points , eight rebounds , four assists , three blocks and one steal . Taurean Prince led the Hawks with 27 points , a total he supplemented with six assists , four rebounds and one steal . Tyler Dorsey managed 17 points , two rebounds , one assist and one steal . Dewayne Dedmon tallied 14 points , seven rebounds , two assists and three blocks . Collins delivered 13 points , nine rebounds , five assists and one steal . Isaiah Taylor supplied 10 points , four assists , three rebounds and one steal . Mike Muscala registered nine points , four rebounds and two assists , while Damion Lee and DeAndre ' Bembry generated matching seven - point efforts in the starting five . The Sixers close out their season at home against the Bucks on the Wednesday evening , while the Hawks have now wrapped up their season .


The Miami Heat defeated the visiting Indiana Pacers , 112 - 108 , at American Airlines Arena on Saturday . The Heat had to work harder than expected to clinch their first win of the season . Miami ( 1 - 1 ) took control by outscoring Indiana , 37 - 19 , in the second quarter and led by as many as 21 points , but the Pacers fought back to make a game of it in the fourth quarter . Indiana pulled to within 110 - 108 with 12 seconds remaining , but that 's as close as it would get . Goran Dragic led Miami with 23 points ( on 9 - for - 12 shooting ) , six rebounds and three assists , as the Slovenian point guard constantly pulled the strings of the Heat in the offensive end of the court . Dion Waiters added 19 points , and James Johnson was solid on both ends of the court . The forward contributed with 14 points , eight assists , five blocks , and four rebounds . The Pacers did n't have Myles Turner , but Victor Oladipo picked up the slack offensively . The offseason acquisition led Indiana with 28 points , five assists , four rebounds and four steals , although he only converted 10 of his 22 shots from the field . Domantas Sabonis added 18 points , and Thaddeus Young chipped in with 14 points and eight rebounds .


The Miami Heat defeated the Atlanta Hawks , 104 - 93 , at American Airlines Arena on Monday night . Both clubs came into the contest with key injuries . The Heat were missing Hassan Whiteside for a second consecutive game with a bone bruise to his knee , while the Hawks ( 1 - 3 ) were without Dennis Schroder , who 'd been carried off the court in Sunday afternoon 's tilt against the Nets with a foot injury . Atlanta was also without starting power forward Ersan Ilyasova , who was sidelined with a knee strain . Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra opted to roll out the same starting five he 'd utilized in Whiteside 's absence Saturday night , starting Jordan Mickey at center and James Johnson at power forward . The strategy proved successful once again , but it was a pair of guards , Josh Richardson and Wayne Ellington , that paced the Heat ( 2 - 1 ) with a pair of 20 - point efforts . Miami built a 62 - 44 lead and led by as much as 21 in the third quarter before surrendering their entire advantage by the early portion of the fourth quarter . However , they were able to regroup enough to prevail in the final period by a 27 - 20 margin and secure the hard - fought win . The Hawks were led by matching 20 - point tallies from Kent Bazemore and Taurean Prince , with the former adding four rebounds , four assists and two steals and the latter supplying seven rebounds , two assists and three steals . Impressive rookie John Collins ceded the start at power forward to Mike Muscala , but he continued the productive start to his NBA career with a 14 - point , 11 - rebound double - double that also included two assists and a block . Marco Belinelli managed 11 points , two rebounds , two assists and one steal . Malcolm Delaney , who drew the start for Schroder , registered 10 points , four rebounds , one assist and two steals . Dewayne Dedmon went scoreless over 30 minutes but brought down six rebounds , one assist and one steal . Luke Babbitt was productive off the bench as well with nine points and a rebound . Richardson 's 21 points led the home team , a total he supplemented with four rebounds , two assists , two steals and two blocks . Ellington was right behind him with 20 points , two rebounds , two assists and a steal , and he nailed six three - pointers in the first half . Goran Dragic supplied 19 points , six assists , one rebound and one steal . Dion Waiters poured in 10 points and added two rebounds , one assist and one block . Kelly Olynyk produced a 10 - point , 10 - rebound double - double that also included four assists , two steals and one block . James Johnson filled out the stat sheet with eight points , seven rebounds , five assists and three steals . Justise Winslow contributed eight points , five boards , one assist and one steal in 26 minutes off the bench . The Hawks next travel to Chicago to tangle with the Bulls on Thursday evening , while the Heat remain home and await the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night .


The San Antonio Spurs came away with a win on the road , 117 - 100 , against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday night . These two long - time playoff rivals got engaged in a tight first quarter that finished with 30 points apiece . However , the Spurs pulled away when they built a 15 - point advantage entering the final 12 minutes . San Antonio never looked back , and they closed things out to maintain their perfect start to the season . San Antonio ( 40 ) once again did not have Kawhi Leonard ( quadriceps ) , but that did not seem to matter . LaMarcus Aldridge paced the offense with 31 points , and Kyle Anderson once again did his best Leonard impression with a double - double of 12 points and 10 rebounds . Danny Green added 12 points ( on 6 - for - 7 shooting ) , seven rebounds and three assists , while Rudy Gay contributed with 22 points coming off the bench . As for the Heat ( 2 - 2 ) , they did n't have Hassan Whiteside ( knee ) , but Goran Dragic picked up the slack . The Slovenian point guard was questionable a few hours before tip - off due to a thigh injury , though he still finished with 20 points to be one of the offensive leaders for Miami . Their highest - scoring player was Tyler Johnson , however , as the point guard exploded for 23 points ( on 7 - for - 13 shooting ) off the bench . Meanwhile , James Johnson produced a solid display on both ends of the court with 21 points , seven rebounds , and four assists .


The Boston Celtics defeated the host Miami Heat , 96 - 90 , at American Airlines Arena on Saturday evening . This marks the Celtics ' fourth straight win , after they dropped their first two of the season . The Celtics led 74 - 63 after three quarters but the Heat gave them a scare with 70 run to bring it to a two - point game , with 2:16 left in the fourth . However , Kyrie Irving showed the poise of a champion as he poured in seven straight points for the Celtics , to seal the deal . Irving was the high - point man for the Celtics ( 4 - 2 ) with 24 points , on 10 - of - 23 shooting , along with four rebounds and three assists , in 33 minutes . Jayson Tatum had another impressive game , with 20 points and five rebounds , in 31 minutes . Al Horford was solid with 12 points , nine rebounds , three assists and one steal , while Marcus Smart chipped in 16 points , four rebounds and four assists , in 26 minutes off the bench . Meanwhile , Goran Dragic led the way for Miami ( 2 - 3 ) with 22 points , four assists , three rebounds and one block , in 36 minutes . Josh Richardson and James Johnson chipped in 16 points each , while Kelly Olynyk added 14 points , nine rebounds and three blocks , in 23 minutes off the bench . Justise Winslow hauled in 12 rebounds and contributed six points , three assists , two blocks and one steal , in 23 minutes . The Heat will look to bounce back as they play host to the Timberwolves on Monday . The Celtics play host to the Spurs on Monday .


The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Miami Heat in overtime , 125 - 122 , at American Airlines Arena on Monday night . The high - scoring see - saw battle began very much in Miami 's favor , as the Heat ( 2 - 4 ) prevailed by a 32 - 23 margin in the first quarter . The second period continued to see both offenses get the best of each the other 's defense , with the Timberwolves ( 4 - 3 ) piling up 37 points to trail by only two at the half . After both units tightened up in the third period , the Timberwolves ( 4 - 3 ) managed to edge the home squad by a 31 - 28 margin in the final period to force overtime . The Heat actually found themselves trailing by a 110 - 106 score with 38 seconds remaining in regulation , but Dion Waiters , who scored the final five points for Miami , drained two key free throws and made a driving layup to force a fifth quarter . Overtime saw the Heat battle back from a 119 - 112 deficit with 1:47 remaining to get within 123 - 122 , courtesy of a Waiters three - pointer with five seconds remaining . However , the guard also missed a desperation 35 - foot moonshot at the buzzer after a pair of Jeff Teague free throws gave the Wolves a three - point cushion . Teague led the visitors with a 23 - point , 11 - assist double - double that also included five rebounds and six steals . Andrew Wiggins posted 22 points , seven rebounds , one assist , one steal and one block . Karl-Anthony Towns supplied a 20 - point , 12 - rebound double - double that was complemented by an assist , three blocks and a steal . Jimmy Butler provided 16 points , five rebounds , three assists and three steals . Jamal Crawford led the bench with 13 points , three assists , one rebound and one steal . Waiters tallied 33 points , five rebounds , four assists and three steals . Kelly Olynyk followed with a bench - leading 23 points , along with six rebounds and two assists . Goran Dragic registered 18 points , six rebounds , five assists and one steal . Rookie Bam Adebayo logged another start at center for Hassan Whiteside ( knee ) and contributed a 13 - point , 13 - rebound double - double . Tyler Johnson was productive off the bench as well with 12 points , three rebounds , two assists and a block . Justise Winslow filled out the stat sheet with 10 points , eight rebounds and two assists in 27 reserve minutes . The Timberwolves continue on the road and next head to the Big Easy to do battle with the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night , while the Heat remain home and tangle with the Chicago Bulls on that same evening .


The Miami Heat defeated the visiting Chicago Bulls , 97 - 91 , at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday evening . The Heat ( 3 - 4 ) looked like they might run away with this one after the jumped out to a 27 - 17 lead after one quarter . However , despite their record , the Bulls ( 1 - 5 ) do not give up easily and bounced back , outscoring the Heat 30 - 22 in the second quarter to make it a two - point game heading into the half . The Bulls made it a fight , but ultimately the Heat were able to hang to improve to 3 - 3 at home . Hassan Whiteside ( knee ) made his return to the lineup after missing five games . This marked only his second time in action so far this season , but he helped lead the way for the Heat with 13 points and 14 rebounds in 26 minutes . Goran Dragic was the high - point man for Miami with 20 points , six assists and five rebounds in 34 minutes . Dion Waiters chipped in a healthy 13 points , seven rebounds and seven assists in 32 minutes , while the only other player to score in double digits for the Heat was Tyler Johnson , who finished with 19 points in 31 minutes off the bench . James Johnson ( knee ) was sidelined for the contest . Meanwhile , Lauri Markkanen led the Bulls with his first 20 - point game of his career , posting a career - high 25 points on 9 - of - 18 shooting in 34 minutes . Robin Lopez followed up with 22 points , four rebounds , two assists , one block and one steal in 33 minutes . The only other player to score in double digits for Chicago was Kris Dunn , who chipped in 11 points , seven rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes off the bench . The Bulls next contest comes on Friday when they take on the Magic in Orlando . The Heat will take on the Nuggets in Denver on Friday .


The Washington Wizards defeated the host Miami Heat , 102 - 93 , at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday evening . The Wizards ( 9 - 5 ) started off strong and accumulated a 61 - 49 leaf by halftime . The Heat ( 6 - 8 ) retaliated in the third quarter , using a 13 - 3 run to tie it up at 64 , before closing out the quarter with the lead , 74 - 71 . However , the Wizards ended up in bonus with seven minutes left in the game , making it tough for Miami to keep up . The Wizards were able to pull ahead in crunch time and seal their fourth straight win . John Wall led the way for Washington with 27 points and six assists , in 38 minutes . Bradley Beal followed up with 26 points and seven rebounds . Markieff Morris chipped in 15 points , while Otto Porter Jr. was the only other player to score in double digits , with 12 points and 13 rebounds , in 40 minutes . The Wizards shot 41 percent from the field and only assisted on 10 of their 32 field goals , and were still able to pull out the win . Meanwhile , the Heat also shot 41 percent from the field , but gave up 17 turnovers to hand the advantage to their opponent . Goran Dragic was the high-point man for the Heat , with 21 points on 9 - of - 17 shooting . Dion Waiters followed up with 19 points , while Hassan Whiteside tallied 14 points and 21 rebounds . These two teams will clash again in their next game , which takes place on Friday in Washington .


The Indiana Pacers defeated the host Miami Heat , 120 - 95 , at American Airlines Arena on Sunday evening . It was a back and forth first half , with Indiana leading 58 - 55 at halftime . However the tide turned in the third quarter , where the Pacers kicked things off with a 19 - 4 run , and ultimately outscored Miami 32 - 13 in the quarter to take a 90 - 68 lead into the final frame . The Pacers were able to cruise to the finish , grabbing their third straight win . Six players scored in double digits for the Pacers ( 9 - 8 ) , led by Bojan Bogdanovic , who poured in 26 points on 9 - of - 14 shooting , in 34 minutes . Myles Turner was huge on both ends of the floor for Indiana , and finished with 25 points , seven rebounds , four assists , three blocks and one steal , in 31 minutes . Victor Oladipo chipped in 15 points , while Domantas Sabonis hauled in 10 rebounds , in 18 minutes off the bench . The Pacers shot 59 percent from the field , including 48 percent from long range . Meanwhile , Wayne Ellington was on fire for the Heat ( 7 - 9 ) , as he tied his career - high with seven three - pointers , on his way to a team - high 21 points on 7 - of - 12 shooting , in 24 minutes off the bench . On the other hand , Dion Waiters went 0 - of - 10 from the field , as he struggled to find his groove . Hassan Whiteside tallied 15 points and seven rebounds , while Josh Richardson also tallied 15 points . Richardson left the game after being poked in the eye and did not return . The Heat will look to bounce back as they play host to the Celtics on Wednesday . The Pacers will be looking for their fourth straight win , as they take on the Magic in Orlando on Monday .


The Miami Heat defeated the visiting Boston Celtics , 104 - 98 , at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday evening . The Celtics ( 16 - 3 ) saw their 16 - game winning streak come to an end , as the Heat held strong on their home court . The Heat ( 8 - 9 ) led 54 - 41 at halftime and withstood a late fourth quarter rally , including a 130 run from Boston , in order to hold on for the impressive win . The Heat were saved by flurry of clutch shooting in the last few minutes that was just enough to keep away from the relentless Celtics . Dion Waiters was the man who stepped up for Miami , as poured in eight points in the last three minutes of the game . Waiters finished with 26 points , six assists and two assists , in 35 minutes . Goran Dragic was the high - point man for Miami , with 27 points , along with five rebounds , four assists and one steal , in 30 minutes of action . Tyler Johnson provided 16 points , seven rebounds , one assist and one steal , in 27 minutes off the bench . The Heat shot 49 percent from the field , including 36 percent from long range . Meanwhile , Kyrie Irving led the way for the Celtics with 23 points on 11 - of - 22 shooting . Jayson Tatum followed up with 18 points , seven rebounds , four assists , one steal and one block , while Jaylen Brown chipped in 14 points , three rebounds , two steals and one assist , in 30 minutes . The Celtics shot 42 percent from the field , and hit 9 - of - 25 from long range . The Celtics will look to get back in the win column as they play host to the Magic , on Friday . The Heat take on the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Friday .


The Miami Heat defeated the Charlotte Hornets , 105 - 100 , at American Airlines Arena on Friday evening . The Heat ( 11 - 11 ) came into Friday 's game looking to snap a modest two - game losing streak , but things were n't exactly looking up to open the game . The Hornets ( 8 - 13 ) jumped out to a 30 - 22 lead after one quarter , but Miami turned the tables in the second , leading to a slim 50 - 49 halftime advantage . The home squad got a bit of a break when Dwight Howard got into some serious foul trouble relatively early in the second half , a development that would ultimately lead to him playing just 17 minutes . The Heat were also the superior team shooting - wise , as they posted an impressive 49 percent success rate from the field , including 40 percent from three - point range . Charlotte was notably short - handed coming in , as Kemba Walker missed a second straight game with a shoulder injury . Marvin Williams led the way for the Hornets with 16 points , six rebounds , two steals and one block . Nicolas Batum followed with 13 points , five rebounds and five assists . Michael Carter-Williams filled in for Walker once again and generated 12 points , six assists , four rebounds , one steal and one block . Cody Zeller poured in 12 of his own and added five boards , one assist , two steals and two blocks in 31 minutes off the bench , as he saw extended playing time due to Howard 's foul trouble . Jeremy Lamb matched Zeller 's scoring total and also posted four rebounds , four assists and one steal . Howard turned in 10 points , nine rebounds and one block in his limited time , but he also committed a game - high nine turnovers . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist matched Howard 's scoring and also supplied five rebounds , two assists and three steals . Josh Richardson paced the Heat with a career - high 27 points , which he supplemented with two rebounds , one assist , one steal and one block . Dion Waiters followed with 19 points , four assists and one rebound . Wayne Ellington was next with a bench - leading 14 points , along with four rebounds , one assist and two steals . Tyler Johnson collected 12 points , two boards and one assist . Kelly Olynyk was productive off the second unit as well , tallying 10 points , six assists and four rebounds . The Hornets will look to snap their four - game losing streak in their next contest , which takes place Monday night at home against the Orlando Magic . The Heat remains home and awaits the arrival of the Golden State Warriors on Sunday evening .


The Golden State Warriors defeated the hosting Miami Heat , 123 - 95 , at American Airlines Center on Sunday evening . The Warriors ( 18 - 6 ) were coming off a huge win against the Orlando Magic , and continued their road trip with another excellent performance on the offensive end of the court . Despite the fact the Heat ( 11 - 12 ) led after the first quarter and were down by two after half time , they simply could n't find a way to contain Golden State in the second half . The reigning NBA champions won the third quarter 37 - 17 and 24 - 18 in the fourth , looking dominant in the process and improving their road record to 10 - 3 . Meanwhile , Miami fell to 5 - 6 at home . Stephen Curry led the Warriors offensively with 30 points , as the two - time MVP winner shot 11 - of - 16 from the field and 5 - of - 9 from three - point range . Kevin Durant added 24 points with seven assists , and Klay Thompson chipped in with 19 points , five rebounds , and four assists . Omri Casspi contributed with 10 points and six boards off the bench . At the other end , Goran Dragic led the way for the Heat with 20 points and Josh Richardson added 12 points , but they would have liked a better performance from Dion Waiters . The shooting guard only made one of his 10 field - goal attempts , and finished the game with four points in 24 minutes . Tyler Johnson ( 13 points ) and Kelly Olynyk ( 14 points , seven boards and five assists ) did a good job off the bench as well .


The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the host Miami Heat , 102 - 95 , at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday . Despite the fact that Miami led for the majority of this game , it came down to the final seconds with Portland coming out as the victors . In fact , the Trail Blazers led for less than five minutes , as they finished the game with a 32 - 16 fourth quarter to comeback and win . Free-throw shooting was a huge factor , with Portland hitting 20 - of - 23 and Miami going just 14 - of - 23 from the charity stripe . The Turnover differential was also a big factor , as Portland forced 16 turnovers from Miami , while committing just 11 on their end . The Trail Blazers ( 14 - 13 ) were led by C.J . McCollum , as he tallied 28 points , three rebounds , three assists and two steals . Damian Lillard struggled early on , but still finished with 18 points , three rebounds and six assists . Al-Farouq Aminu recorded a 15 - point , 13 - rebound double - double . The Heat ( 13 - 14 ) had all five starters score in double figures , as none of them reached 20 points . Dion Waiters was the closest , as he accrued 17 points , two rebounds and three assists . James Johnson flirted with a triple - double , as he collected 10 points , 10 rebounds and eight assists . Wayne Ellington was huge off the bench , dropping 24 points . On deck for Portland is a road matchup versus the Orlando Magic on Friday . As for Miami , they play host to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday for their next fixture .


The Miami Heat defeated the Los Angeles Clippers , 90 - 85 , at AmericanAirlines Arena on Saturday evening . The Heat ( 15 - 14 ) and the Clippers ( 11 - 17 ) engaged in quite a battle in this game . Miami jumped to a seven - point advantage after the first quarter and it seemed as if they were going to cruise their way to an easy win , but that was n't the case . The Clippers won both the second and third quarters , and entered the fourth down by just four points . But the Heat held on over the course of the final 12 minutes , and secured a huge win that put them over .500 once again , while the Clippers continue to stumble in what has been a disappointing for them so far . Josh Richardson was the biggest star of the game for the Heat , as he finished with 28 points , three rebounds , three blocks and two assists , so he made quite an impact on both ends of the court . Dion Waiters added 13 points with six rebounds , while Kelly Olynyk filled the stat sheet nicely with 11 points , five rebounds , five steals and four assists . DeAndre Jordan posted a huge game for the Clippers despite the loss , as the talented center finished with 12 points and a game - high 20 rebounds . Milos Teodosic and Louis Williams both added 13 points in this one , but neither was the team 's scorer . That distinction belonged to Montrezl Harrell , who contributed with 15 points .


The Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks , 113 - 101 , at AmericanAirlines Arena on Friday evening . The Heat ( 17 - 15 ) and the Mavericks ( 9 - 24 ) played a very even game during the first half , to the point that ended the first 24 minutes with a 53 - 53 draw . However , Miami used a big third - quarter performance ( 29 - 20 ) and closed it out in the fourth to cruise their way to a big win at home against a struggling Dallas side . With the win , Miami started a two - game winning run and now have come out on top in four of their last five , while Dallas have dropped four of their past six . Josh Richardson had a huge performance on both ends of the court , as he finished with 24 points , five assists , four rebounds , and two blocks . The biggest offensive weapon for Miami , however , was Wayne Ellington . The veteran scorer finished with a game - high 28 points on 10 - of - 16 shooting and 8 - of - 12 from three - point range . Tyler Johnson had 19 points and seven rebounds , while Bam Adebayo registered 14 points , eight boards , and five assists . Yogi Ferrell came off the bench to lead Dallas offensively , as the talented scorer finished with 23 points on 9 - of - 13 from the field . Dirk Nowitzki and Harrison Barnes had 20 points each , but Wesley Matthews and Dennis Smith Jr. both struggled . The shooting guard only scored nine points , while the rookie point guard finished with six points and seven assists .


The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the host Miami Heat , 109 - 94 , at American Airlines Arena on Saturday . Miami are dealing with as many injuries as anyone right now , as they simply could n't match up with this potent New Orleans roster in this game . The middle quarters were key , with New Orleans outscoring Miami , 56 - 41 , as the Pelicans held the lead for the entirety of the second half . New Orleans were lights - out , as they shot 53 percent from the field and 60 percent from three - point range . Miami shot just 42 percent from the field and 31 percent from long range . The Pelicans ( 17 - 16 ) were led by Anthony Davis , as he tallied 16 points , six rebounds , three assists and four blocks . DeMarcus Cousins finished with 16 points , seven rebounds , eight assists , two steals and three blocks . Jrue Holiday collected 13 points , six rebounds and four assists . Ian Clark was huge off the bench , as he dropped 19 points on 5 - of - 6 from three - point range . The Heat ( 17 - 16 ) were led by Tyler Johnson , as he amassed 20 points , three rebounds and two assists . Goran Dragic totaled 13 points , four rebounds and two assists . Josh Richardson accrued 12 points , four rebounds and two assists . On deck for Miami is a home matchup versus the Orlando Magic on Tuesday . New Orleans will be off until Wednesday , as they host the Brooklyn Nets .


The Miami Heat defeated the Orlando Magic , 107 - 89 , at American Airlines Arena on Tuesday evening . The Heat ( 18 - 16 ) were buoyed by the news earlier in the day that Hassan Whiteside was ready to make his return to the court following a 13 - game absence due to a knee injury . Goran Dragic , who has been dealing with an elbow issue , was also cleared to play , giving Miami some valuable reinforcements on the starting five . For the reeling and injury - ravaged Magic ( 11 - 24 ) , Evan Fournier managed to make his return after an eight - game sabbatical of his own due to an ankle sprain , surprisingly suiting up after originally being declared out for the contest earlier in the afternoon . Orlando bounced back impressively after starting the second quarter with a three - point deficit , as they rattled off 31 points in the period to forge a 49 - 45 halftime advantage . However , the light apparently went on for the home squad at intermission , as they outscored the Magic , 64 - 40 , in the second half . The Heat was especially impressive down low , as they won the rebounding battle by a comfortable 53 - 42 margin . Elfrid Payton paced the Magic with 19 points , eight rebounds , six assists and one steal . Mario Hezonja followed with 14 points , a total he supplemented with five rebounds , one assist and one steal . Fournier matched his scoring total and added three rebounds and one assist over 30 minutes . Marreese Speights generated a bench - leading 12 points and added six boards and one steal . BIsmack Biyombo drew his first start for Nikola Vucevic ( hand ) and mustered a modest three points . However , he also hauled in 12 rebounds and recorded five blocks . D.J . Augustin and Arron Afflalo were productive off the bench as well with matching nine - point efforts . Josh Richardson led the Heat with 20 points and added seven boards , five assists and one steal . Wayne Ellington was next with a bench - leading 18 points and also supplied six rebounds , one assist and two steals . Tyler Johnson poured in 17 points and added four boards , two assists , one steal and one block . Kelly Olynyk pitched in a 15 - point , 12 - rebound double - double that also included two assists , three steals and two blocks . Dragic registered 14 points , six assists , four rebounds and two steals . Whiteside was active over his 18 minutes , posting seven points , eight rebounds and one steal . The Magic make the short trip back home to take on the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night , while the Heat remain home to tangle with the Nets on Friday evening .


The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Miami Heat , 111 - 87 , at AmericanAirlines Arena on Friday evening . The Nets ( 13 - 22 ) delivered one of their best performances of the season on the road , and simply dominated the contest against the Heat ( 18 - 17 ) from start to finish . Brooklyn quickly jumped to a 24 - 20 lead after the first quarter , but they established huge differentials on both the second ( 35 - 19 ) and third ( 36 - 21 ) quarters , heading to the final 12 minutes of action with an impressive 95 - 60 advantage . Miami tried to fight back in the fourth , but it was just too late and Brooklyn cruised their way to an easy win , leaving their three - game losing skid in the past . As for the Heat , they have now dropped two of their last three outings , and remain heavily inconsistent at home . A total of seven Brooklyn players scored in double figures in this one , and Joe Harris was the top scorer for the Nets , as he came off the bench to finish with 21 points on 7 - of - 9 from the field . Rondae Hollis-Jefferson contributed with 18 points and seven rebounds , and Spencer Dinwiddie had 11 points with six assists . Caris LeVert finished with a double - double off the bench , scoring 12 points and dishing out 11 assists in just 23 minutes . Hassan Whiteside was the best player for the Heat , as the big man finished with 17 points , eight rebounds , and two steals . Josh Richardson was the highest scorer , however , since he contributed with 19 points . Meanwhile , Goran Dragic scored just 11 points while shooting 3 - of - 12 from the field . Miami 's bench struggled as well , as they went 9 - of - 32 from the field for just 27 points as a unit .


The Miami Heat defeated the visiting Detroit Pistons , 111 - 104 , at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday evening . It was a tight first quarter where the teams traded buckets before the Pistons emerged with an early 29 - 24 lead . The Heat turned it on the second quarter and managed to take a 56 - 52 lead by halftime . The Pistons came out strong once again in the second half , taking a three - point lead with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter , The Heat responded , leading to a tie , 81 - 81 , heading into the fourth . The Heat pulled ahead early in the fourth and although it remained a one or two possession game the rest of the way , stayed on top for their second straight win . Kelly Olynyk led the way for the Heat with 25 points , 13 rebounds and three assists , in 35 minutes . Goran Dragic followed up with 24 points , 13 assists and five rebounds , while Josh Richardson added 22 points , five assists , one steal and one block . The Heat shot 51 percent from the field , including 17 - of - 34 from long range . Meanwhile , Tobias Harris led the way for Detroit , with 19 points , six rebounds and two assists , in 35 minutes . Reggie Bullock followed up with 17 points , while Boban Marjanovic and Avery Bradley added 15 points each . The Pistons shot 48 percent from the field , including 9 - of - 24 from long range . The Pistons ( 20 - 16 ) head to Philly to take on the 76ers on Friday . The Heat ( 20 - 17 ) play host to the Knicks on Friday .


The Miami Heat defeated the New York Knicks in overtime , 107 - 103 , at American Airlines Arena on Friday evening . The Heat ( 21 - 17 ) came into Friday 's contest looking to extend a hot streak that had seen them win five of their prior seven games . The first half lent credence to the notion that they 'd accomplish the feat , as they jumped out to a 51 - 45 halftime lead . However , the Knicks ( 18 - 21 ) turned the tables in the second half , producing an almost identical 52 - 46 advantage over that span and forcing overtime on a Doug McDermott 24 - foot three - point jumper with under a second remaining . The home squad then put the clamps on New York in the extra period , limiting the Knicks to six points and scoring the last four points on free throws from Josh Richardson and James Johnson . Despite the loss , the visitors did outperform the Heat on the offensive side of the stat sheet , posting a 49 percent success rate from the floor - - including 38 percent from three - point range - - while limiting Miami to respective 40 percent and 29 percent tallies . Courtney Lee paced the Knicks with 24 points , a total he supplemented with three rebounds , one assist and two steals . Michael Beasley posted a 20 - point , 10 - rebound double - double that also included two assists and two steals . Kristaps Porzingis supplied 15 points , seven boards , one assist , three blocks and one steal . Enes Kanter registered 14 points , eight boards , two steals and two blocks . Kyle O'Quinn was productive off the bench with 10 points , three rebounds and one assist . Jarrett Jack provided eight points , five assists , two rebounds and one steal . Wayne Ellington led the Heat with a 24 - point total as well and added four rebounds and one steal . Goran Dragic pitched in 19 points , six rebounds and six assists . Richardson totaled 18 points overall , along with two assists , one rebound , three steals and one block . Hassan Whiteside accounted for 12 points , seven boards and two blocks . Kelly Olynyk remained in the starting five and mustered 10 - point , 10 - rebound double - double that also included four assists and one steal . The Knicks next head to the Lone Star State to take on the Mavericks on Sunday evening , while the Heat remain home to take on the Utah Jazz on Sunday afternoon .


The Miami Heat defeated the Utah Jazz , 103 - 102 , at AmericanAirlines Arena on Sunday afternoon . The Heat ( 22 - 17 ) and the Jazz ( 16 - 24 ) put their current streaks on the line in this game , and the contest was decided in the final seconds as both teams went back and forth during the entire game . The Heat jumped ahead 27 - 22 after the first quarter , but Utah won the two subsequent quarter by three points each , thus generating a one - point lead heading into the final 12 minutes . But the Heat stormed back in the fourth , and a lay - up from Josh Richardson with five seconds left secured a huge win at home that extended their winning streak to a season - best four games . Six Miami players scored in double figures , including the entire starting lineup . Josh Richardson not only scored the winning bucket for the Heat , but he also produced a strong display thanks to 14 points , six assists , three rebounds , and two blocks . Hassan Whiteside had 14 points with 11 rebounds . Both Goran Dragic and Tyler Johnson scored 16 points , while Kelly Olynyk chipped in with 12 . Donovan Mitchell missed a potential game - winning shot in the final seconds , but he still led the way offensively for Utah as he finished with 27 points . Derrick Favors had 11 points with 10 rebounds , and Thabo Sefolosha filled the stat sheet admirably after ending with 13 points , six rebounds , three steals , and two assists . Rodney Hood contributed with 17 points off the bench .


The Miami Heat defeated the Milwaukee Bucks , 97 - 79 , at AmericanAirlines Arena on Sunday afternoon . The Heat ( 25 - 17 ) had to come from behind in this game against the Bucks ( 22 - 20 ) , but they used a strong second - half performance to cruise their way to a win that ended being harder than what anyone expected . Milwaukee jumped to a two - point advantage in the first quarter and maintained that lead until halftime , but the Heat turned things around in the second half . A 30 - 16 lead in the third quarter pushed Miami ahead , and they closed things out with a 26 - 20 win in the final 12 minutes . Miami kept their winning streak alive with that win , and now they have won their last seven straight games . Hassan Whiteside posted a strong effort for the Heat , as he made an impact on both ends of the court with 15 points , 10 rebounds , and four blocks . Goran Dragic was the team 's top scorer , though , as he finished with 25 points on 9 - of - 17 from the field . Tyler Johnson chipped in with 14 points and six rebounds , while Josh Richardson had 16 points and six boards . Giannis Antetokounmpo was the best player for the Bucks , as he finished with 22 points and six rebounds . Malcolm Brogdon had 15 points and six boards , while Eric Bledsoe contributed with 10 points , four assists , three rebounds and two steals . Khris Middleton ended with 16 points , but he struggled with his shooting after going 3 - of - 16 from the field .


The Sacramento Kings defeated the Miami Heat , 89 - 88 , at AmericanAirlines Arena on Thursday evening . The Kings ( 15 - 33 ) and the Heat ( 27 - 21 ) played a game that went down to the wire in Miami . In fact , as each quarter ended , the game became closer and closer . Sacramento led by two after the first , things were even ( 47 - 47 ) at halftime , and Miami held a one - point advantage ( 72 - 71 ) after three . All signs pointed towards a Miami win late in the fourth quarter , but De'Aaron Fox had other plans . The rookie point guard lifted Sacramento with a game - closing dunk with three seconds left , that allowed the Kings to win their second consecutive win . Meanwhile , Miami have now lost their past two games , and three out of their last four . De'Aaron Fox was the biggest star for Sacramento , as the point guard delivered 14 points , four assists and three rebounds aside from the winning basket . Buddy Hield thrived off the bench , as he scored 24 points while going 10 - for - 15 from the field . Zach Randolph contributed a double - double of 10 rebounds and 10 points . Bogdan Bogdanovic had 11 points , three rebounds , and three assists . Goran Dragic did an excellent job for the Heat , as he finished with 23 points to lead the team offensively . Most of the scoring came off the bench , however , as Wayne Ellington had 20 points with five rebounds , while Justise Winslow ( 11 points ) and Kelly Olynyk ( 10 points ) delivered strong performances as well . Hassan Whiteside had eight points , but added 13 boards .


The Miami Heat defeated the Charlotte Hornets , 95 - 91 , at American Airlines Arena on Friday . Despite the fact that there were only four ties and four lead changes in this game , it was n't decided until the final whistle . In fact , Miami ended the game on an 8 - 1 run over the final three minutes , as that turned a three - point deficit into a four - point win . The second and fourth quarters were decisive for the Heat , as they outscored the Hornets , 56 - 35 . The shooting disparity was vast , with Miami hitting 45 percent of their shots while holding Charlotte to under 35 percent from the field . Much of that was attributed to ball movement , with the Heat recording 25 assists while the Hornets only handed out 12 dimes . The Hornets ( 20 - 28 ) got a gem out of Kemba Walker , as he tallied 30 points , six rebounds and five assists . Dwight Howard finished with 20 points , 16 rebounds and four blocks . No other player on the Hornets reached double figures in scoring or handed out more than three assists . The Heat ( 28 - 21 ) were led by Josh Richardson , as he accrued 19 points , two rebounds and five assists . James Johnson totaled 10 points , 10 rebounds and three assists . Wayne Ellington was huge off the bench , providing 17 points and two rebounds . Kelly Olynyk also played well off the bench , accumulating 16 points , four rebounds and six assists . Both teams play road games on Monday for their next fixture , with Charlotte facing the Indiana Pacers and Miami traveling to play the Dallas Mavericks .


The Orlando Magic defeated the Miami Heat , 111 - 109 , at American Airlines Arena on Monday . This was a tale of two halves , as Orlando overcame a bad first quarter to come back and win . In fact , Miami led 35 - 26 after the first quarter , as they were outscored in the second and third quarters , 67 - 52 . Three-point shooting was the difference in the game , with the Magic hitting 13 - of - 30 and the Heat going just 3 - of - 23 from long range . Orlando won despite being dominated on the boards , being outrebounded , 53 - 39 . The Magic ( 16 - 36 ) had six players score in double figures , as Mario Hezonja led them with 20 points , five rebounds , three assists and two steals . Jonathon Simmons finished with 16 points and three rebounds . Elfrid Payton accumulated 10 points , two rebounds and seven assists while Evan Fournier put in 13 points and four rebounds . The Heat ( 29 - 25 ) were led by Josh Richardson , as he tallied 20 points , two rebounds and two assists . Hassan Whiteside totaled 19 points and 14 rebounds . Goran Dragic accrued 13 points , nine rebounds and seven assists . Justise Winslow got a rare start and amassed 16 points , eight rebounds and two assists . Bam Adebayo led the bench with 16 points , 10 rebounds and two blocks . Orlando will play host to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday while Miami will play host to the Houston Rockets for their next game on Wednesday .


The Houston Rockets defeated the host Miami Heat , 109 - 101 , at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday evening . The Rockets got out to a great start on the road , as they created some separation halfway through the first quarter , to take a 35 - 24 lead into the second . They pushed their lead to 17 mid way though the second quarter , but the Heat battled back to close the gap to just four , as they trailed 61 - 57 at halftime . The third quarter went back and forth , with the Heat taking a small lead at one point , but the Rockets were able to take back a three - point lead , ahead 83 - 80 , heading into the final frame . The Heat kept the pressure on and managed to take a two - point lead early in the fourth , however the Rockets jumped ahead one final time before they were able to seal the deal with a 90 run that put them ahead by seven with five minutes to go . They were able to hang on from there , to earn their sixth straight win . James Harden led the way for the Rockets with 41 points on 13 - of - 25 shooting , in 36 minutes . Chris Paul followed up with 24 points , seven rebounds , seven assists and one block , in 36 minutes . Clint Capela tallied 13 points and eight rebounds , while Gerald Green added 12 points and three rebounds , off the bench . The Rockets shot 51 percent from the field , including 12 - of - 31 from long range . Meanwhile , Josh Richardson and Goran Dragic poured in 30 points each to lead the Heat , while Hassan Whiteside came up big with 16 points , 17 rebounds and one assist . The Heat shot 45 percent from the field , including 13 - of - 32 from long range . The Heat ( 29 - 26 ) will look to bounce back , as they play host to the Bucks on Friday . The Rockets ( 40 - 13 ) play host to the Nuggets on Friday .


The Miami Heat defeated the Milwaukee Bucks , 91 - 85 , at American Airlines Arena on Friday . Despite the fact that Milwaukee led for the majority of the first half , Miami really took control in the third quarter . In fact , the Heat outscored the Bucks , 30 - 9 , in the third quarter , as that turned a four - point halftime deficit into a 17 - point lead . Rebounding was the difference for Miami , as they outrebounded Milwaukee , 51 - 37 . Much of that rebounding was on the offensive end , with the Heat winning that battle , 13 - 2 . Miami 's bench was also a big factor , as they outscored Milwaukee 's bench 38 - 24 . The Bucks ( 30 - 24 ) were led by Giannis Antetokounmpo , as he tallied 23 points , 11 rebounds , three assists and two blocks . Eric Bledsoe accumulated 19 points , four rebounds , six assists , four steals and two blocks . Khris Middleton was the only other Buck in double figures , as he totaled 14 points , two assists and two steals . The Heat ( 30 - 26 ) started Tyler Johnson , as he led the team with 19 points , six rebounds , three assists and two steals . Hassan Whiteside amassed 12 points , 16 rebounds and two assists . Bam Adebayo led the bench with 15 points , 10 rebounds , three assists and two blocks . On deck for Milwaukee is a road matchup versus the Orlando Magic on Saturday . As for Miami , they 're off until Tuesday when they play the Toronto Raptors on the road .


The Miami Heat defeated the Memphis Grizzlies , 115 - 89 , at AmericanAirlines Arena on Saturday night . The Heat ( 31 - 29 ) looked absolutely dominant in this game , as they remembered some of their early - season form in a game where the Grizzlies ( 18 - 40 ) simply did n't have answers to what Miami was offering . The Heat jumped ahead to a three - point lead after the first 12 minutes ( 34 - 31 ) and they never looked back ; extending it to eight after two , 22 after three , and 26 at the final buzzer . The numbers did n't lie either . Miami shot better from the field ( 46 percent against 44 ) and won the rebounding battle as well ( 51 - 39 ) . Usually , that 's a winning combination . Six Miami players scored in double digits in this game . Tyler Johnson led the way with 23 points , while Justise Winslow had 17 points and seven rebounds . Josh Richardson added 15 points , while Hassan Whiteside had 12 points , eight boards and three blocks . Wayne Ellington had 15 points off the bench , and Bam Adebayo had 13 points . Goran Dragic struggled , though , with only six points . Andrew Harrison was the top scorer for the Grizzlies with 17 points , six assists and four rebounds . JaMychal Green had 10 points and 11 rebounds , and Deyonta Davis contributed 14 points and seven boards . Those were the only three Memphis players that scored in double digits , though , and even though five players contributed on offense , neither managed to crack the 10 - point mark .


The Miami Heat defeated the visiting Philadelphia 76ers , 102 - 101 , at American Airlines Arena on Tuesday evening . The Sixers got out to a good start on the road , as they led for most of the first quarter and held on to lead 24 - 17 heading into the second . They expanded their lead to 10 early in the second quarter , however the Heat began chipping away and tied it up at 34 with 4:44 left in the half . However , the 76ers did not fold , and took a 48 - 45 lead into the half . The 76ers maintained a small advantage through most of the third quarter , but the Heat kept it close , and ended up outscoring Philadelphia 28 - 27 in the quarter to narrow the deficit to two , 75 - 73 , heading into the final frame . The Sixers made another push to start the fourth , expanding their lead to 10 once again , however the Heat used an 11 - 1 run to tie it up at 87 with just under five minutes to go . The game stayed tight down to the wire , tied at 100 with 23 seconds left . Ben Simmons knocked down one - of - two free throws to take a one - point advantage , setting the stage for vintage Dwyane Wade to come through in the final seconds with a game - winning jumper . Wade led the Heat with 27 points on 10 - of - 16 shooting , in 25 minutes off the bench . Goran Dragic followed up with 21 points , six rebounds and five assists , in 33 minutes , while Hassan Whiteside tallied 15 points , 11 rebounds , three assists , three steals and three blocks , in 33 minutes . The Heat shot 44 percent from the field , including 9 - of - 27 from long range . Meanwhile , Joel Embiid led Philly with 23 points , eight rebounds , four assists and one steal , in 30 minutes . Dario Saric followed up with 21 points , seven rebounds , two assists and one steal , while J.J. Redick tallied 15 points , four assists , three rebounds and one steal . The Sixers shot 42 percent from the field , including 12 - of - 31 from long range . The 76ers ( 32 - 27 ) will look to bounce back , as they take on the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Thursday . The Heat ( 32 - 29 ) play host to the Lakers on Thursday .


The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the host MIami Heat , 131 - 113 , at American Airlines Arena on Thursday evening . The Lakers got out to a good start on the road , leading 20 - 7 mid way through the first quarter . However , the Heat answered back by outscoring the Lakers 29 - 13 through the rest of the quarter , to take a 36 - 33 lead into the second . The Lakers took it to another level in the second though , as they used a 21 - 4 run to take a 14 - point lead mid way through the quarter . They kept the pressure on , outscoring the Heat by a total of 40 - 26 in the quarter , to take a 73 - 62 lead into halftime . The Lakers stayed strong to start the second half , as they maintained their lead through the third quarter , to take a 104 - 94 lead into the final frame . They turned up the intensity yet again in the fourth , as they quickly expanded their lead to 20 points just minutes into the quarter , allowing themselves the opportunity to cruise to their fourth straight win . Isaiah Thomas was on fire for Los Angeles , as he led the way with 29 points on 11 - of - 20 shooting , including 6 - of - 11 from long range , in 29 minutes off the bench . Julius Randle followed up with 25 points , six rebounds , two assists , one steal and one block , while Brandon Ingram tallied 19 points , five rebounds , five assists , one steal and one block . Lonzo Ball filled the stat sheet with eight points , seven assists , six rebounds and six steals . The Lakers shot 60 percent from the field , including 16 - of - 29 from long range . Meanwhile , Dwyane Wade led Miami with 25 points on 11 - of - 18 shooting , in 25 minutes off the bench . Goran Dragic tallied 19 points , seven assists , four rebounds and one steal , while Justise Winslow added 17 points , five rebounds , two assists and two steals . The Heat shot 48 percent from the field , including 9 - of - 31 from deep . The Heat ( 32 - 30 ) will look to bounce back as they host the Pistons on Saturday . The Lakers ( 27 - 34 ) take on the Spurs in San Antonio on Saturday .


The Miami Heat defeated the Detroit Pistons , 105 - 96 , at AmericanAirlines Arena on Saturday . The Pistons ( 29 - 34 ) and the Heat ( 33 - 30 ) played a tightly - contested game in the first quarter , but Detroit was n't able to keep up with Miami 's rhythm and ended losing deservedly , further extending their negative streak and putting themselves one step further from a potential playoff spot while the Heat took another step towards a postseason berth . The big difference in this game was Miami 's performance in the second quarter , as their 32 - 18 lead over that period was enough to give them a much - needed win at home . With such a healthy lead , they decided to cruise their way the rest of the game and closed things out rather comfortably . Six Heat players ended scoring in double digits in this one . Josh Richardson and Kelly Olynyk scored 17 points each , although Olynyk 's performance certainly stood out since he came off the bench and only needed 23 minutes to reach that scoring output . James Johnson had 14 points , while Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow each had 13 points . Hassan Whiteside only scored eight points , but grabbed 19 rebounds . Andre Drummond led the way for Detroit with a strong double - double of 22 points , 18 rebounds , four steals and two blocks . Blake Griffin was the top scorer of the team thanks to a 31 - point performance , but he also added six assists and four boards . Reggie Bullock had 11 points and eight rebounds . No other Detroit player scored in double digits in this one , and the team shot just 42 percent from the field overall .


The Miami Heat defeated the visiting Phoenix Suns , 125 - 103 , at American Airlines Arena on Monday evening . The game started out close and was tight for most of the first quarter , with the Heat breaking out to a 10 - point lead before the Suns closed the gap to trail 30 - 27 entering the second . The Heat pulled ahead to a seven - point lead four minutes into the second quarter and kept the advantage for the rest of the quarter , expanding to a 13 - point lead by halftime . The Heat stayed on top through the third quarter and expanded their lead to as many as 20 , before settling on a 93 - 80 lead entering the final frame . The fourth quarter was no contest as Miami stayed on top , while outscoring the Suns 32 - 23 in the quarter to cruise to a much - needed win . Hassan Whiteside led the Heat with 24 points , 14 rebounds , three blocks , two assists and two steals , in 24 minutes of action . Goran Dragic followed up with 17 points , five assists and one rebound , while Justise Winslow added 12 points , 12 rebounds , five assists and four steals , in 31 minutes off the bench . The Heat shot 52 percent from the field , including 12 - of - 37 from long range . Meanwhile , Devin Booker led the Suns with 31 points on 12 - of - 22 shooting , in 33 minutes . T.J. Warren followed up with 19 points , four rebounds , two assists and one steal , while Marquese Chriss added 12 points , six rebounds , one assist and one block , in 27 minutes off the bench . The Suns shot 49 percent from the field , including 10 - of - 24 from long range . The Suns ( 19 - 47 ) will look to avoid a fourth straight loss as they take on the Thunder in OKC on Thursday . The Heat ( 34 - 30 ) will be right back in action as they take on the Wizards in Washington on Tuesday .


The Miami Heat defeated the Philadelphia 76ers at American Airlines Arena on Thursday evening . The Heat ( 35 - 29 ) came into Thursday 's contest looking to notch their second win over the 76ers ( 35 - 29 ) in the last six games , but they likely figured Philadelphia would have some revenge on their minds after the narrow one - point loss they 'd suffered at Miami 's hands on their home court . The first quarter was as competitive as expected , with the hosts eeking out a 29 - 28 advantage . They 'd forged a 53 - 49 edge by intermission , but gave it all back in a third period where the visitors racked up 25 points to the Heat 's 20 . That gave Philadelphia the one - point lead heading into the final 12 minutes , but the home squad would quickly pull ahead and then ultimately hold off the Sixers when they got as close as 101 - 96 with 1:24 remaining . The Heat got it done with superior shooting and stingy defense on the other end , as they posted a 47 percent success rate while limiting Philly to a 40 percent figure . Dario Saric led the Sixers with a 20 - point , 10 - rebound double - double that also included four assists . J.J. Redick managed 18 points , five assists , three rebounds and one steal . Joel Embiid tallied 17 points , seven boards and three assists . Marco Belinelli produced a bench - leading 14 points and dished out one assist . Ben Simmons generated a typically fully line of 10 points , eight rebounds , eight assists , three steals and two blocks . Robert Covington came up empty on all 10 of his attempts on his way to just three points , but he managed to add seven boards , three assists , four steals and one block . Hassan Whiteside paced the Heat with 26 points and also collected eight boards , two assists , two blocks and one steal . Dwyane Wade supplied a bench - leading 16 points and complemented them with six boards and two assists . Josh Richardson delivered 13 points , four rebounds , two assists , one steal and one block . Tyler Johnson registered 12 points , four rebounds and one assist . Kelly Olynyk was productive off the bench with 10 points , seven rebounds , two assists , one steal and one block . Goran Dragic had a rough shooting night ( 3 - 13 FG ) on his way to seven points , seven assists , five rebounds and three steals . Justise Winslow contributed nine points , six boards , two assists , two blocks and one steal in 27 minutes off the bench . The 76ers pay a visit to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday evening , while the Heat remains home to tangle with the Washington Wizards on Saturday night .


The Miami Heat defeated the Washington Wizards at American Airlines Arena on Saturday night . The Heat ( 36 - 31 ) came into the contest riding a wave of strong play , as they 'd emerged victorious in five of their previous seven games . However , the Wizards ( 38 - 29 ) had proven to be a rather tough puzzle to solve for them this season , as they 'd notched wins in two of three tries against Miami . The home squad came out seemingly determined to forge a tie in the series , as they exploded for a 60 - point first half while limiting Washington to 48 . The contest was then essentially decided in the third period , as the Heat racked up a whopping 43 points to enter the final 12 minutes with a 27 - point cushion . They treaded water the rest of the way by drawing even with the visitors during the fourth quarter , allowing them to maintain the same margin by game 's end . Miami made up for the absence of Hassan Whiteside ( hip ) with a balanced offensive effort in which seven players hit double digits in the scoring column . Jodie Meeks saw extended run in the blowout loss and led the Wizards with 23 points , a total he supplemented with four boards and two assists . Bradley Beal saw only 27 minutes of action and parlayed them into 14 points , three rebounds , one assist and one block . Ramon Sessions logged 12 points , four assists and two rebounds . Kelly Oubre , Jr. managed 11 points , six rebounds and two steals . Otto Porter , Jr. supplied 10 points , five boards , two assists and one steal . Tomas Satoransky finished with nine points , five boards , one assist and one steal . Mike Scott collected an efficient seven points and three rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench . James Johnson paced the Heat with 20 points and added five assists , two rebounds and one steal . Wayne Ellington poured in 17 points and also tallied three rebounds , two assists and one steal . Josh Richardson , Tyler Johnson , Kelly Olynyk and Rodney McGruder contributed matching 13 - point efforts . Richardson also posted four assists , one rebound and two steals , Johnson pitched in three assists and two rebounds , Olynyk ripped down 11 rebounds , dished out two assists , notched two blocks and recorded one steal and McGruder had one assist and one steal . Goran Dragic went for 10 points , three assists and two rebounds in only 19 minutes . Justise Winslow generated 10 points , eight rebounds and two assists . The Wizards head back home to tangle with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday evening , while the Heat head to the West Coast to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night .


The Miami Heat defeated the Denver Nuggets 149 - 141 in double overtime on Monday at American Airlines Arena . Four quarters were n't enough for these two teams fighting for a playoff spot Monday night . After a game - tying layup from Nikola Jokic sent the game into its first extra period , the Heat and Nuggets would go scoreless for the final minute of overtime and go to a second one . From there , the Miami was able to pull away , outscoring Denver 18 - 10 in the final five minutes . James Johnson put on a brilliant performance in the 58 - minute game , scoring a team - high 31 points on 13 - of - 17 shooting to go along with 11 rebounds and six assists . Kelly Olynyk was n't too far behind , with the big man coming off the bench to score 30 points in 41 minutes in addition to 11 rebounds and six assists . As a team , the Heat were absolutely on fire from behind the arc , and their sharp shooting allowed them to keep pace with the high - scoring Denver offense . Miami shot a scorching 20 - of - 36 from behind the arc Monday and 55 percent from the field overall . As for the Nuggets , they still managed to hit 18 threes as a team and shoot an impressive 47 percent from behind the arc , but it would n't be enough to keep up . Jokic accounted for four of those made threes and finishing with a game - high 34 points to go along with 14 rebounds in 48 minutes . Wilson Chandler had one of his best offensive performances of the season , ringing in 26 points on 11 - of - 16 shooting from the field . It was a decent outing from the team 's starting five overall , with the unit accounting for 119 of the Nuggets ' 141 points Monday .


The Miami Heat defeated the New York Knicks , 119 - 98 , at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday evening . The Heat ( 39 - 33 ) came into the contest with a markedly better record than their opponent , but also likely with a wary eye . The Knicks ( 26 - 46 ) were likely to have at least a bit of a spoiler mentality , and they certainly would n't have minded extending a modest two - game winning streak , either . Whatever concerns Miami may have had seemed to play out in a first quarter where New York hung with them bucket for bucket , but the home squad began to exert its will and superiority in the second . A 37 - point surge on their part afforded them a 17 - point halftime lead , an edge they 'd kicked up to 22 by the end of the third period . That guaranteed that simply treading water over the final 12 minutes would do the trick , and sure enough , the Heat finished with a 21 - point margin of victory . Despite having played a grueling double - overtime marathon against the Nuggets just two nights prior , the hosts still saw six players hit double digits in the scoring column , with the second unit contributing an impressive 62 points . Miami was also highly efficient , draining 56 percent of their 81 attempts . One player who always seems to bring the goods each night for the Knicks irrespective of circumstance is Enes Kanter , and accordingly , he led the way with a 23 - point , 13 - rebound double - double that also included three assists and two steals . Michael Beasley unsurprisingly played well against the team that originally drafted him , managing 22 points , seven rebounds , three assists and one steal . Trey Burke produced a bench - leading 16 points and supplemented them with seven boards and two assists . Tim Hardaway , Jr. poured in 12 points and also supplied three rebounds , one assist and one steal . Emmanuel Mudiay drew the start at point guard and shot just 3 - for - 10 on his way to eight points , four rebounds , four assists and two steals . Tyler Johnson and Kelly Olynyk paced the Heat with matching 22 - point tallies from the first unit and bench , respectively . Johnson also mustered two rebounds and two assists , while Olynyk dished out 10 assists , ripped down five rebounds and recorded one steal . Wayne Ellington generated 16 points , four boards , one assist and one steal . Justise Winslow finished with 15 points , two assists and one rebound . Goran Dragic registered 14 points , five assists and two rebounds . Josh Richardson delivered 12 points , five assists , three rebounds , three steals and one block . James Johnson could n't come anywhere near his 31 - point explosion against Denver on Monday , totaling just three points , six assists , five rebounds , one steal and one block . The Knicks return home and tangle with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday evening , while the Heat pay a visit to the Oklahoma City Thunder on that same night .


The Miami Heat defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers , 98 - 79 , at American Airlines Arena on Tuesday . While this was n't a wire - to - wire win , Miami held the lead for the final 45 minutes of play . The first quarter really set the tone , as they outscored Cleveland , 29 - 18 . The Cavaliers actually never got the game within 10 points after that dominant first quarter . Defense was key for Miami , as they held Cleveland to 37 percent from the field and 15 percent from long range . The Heat ended up connecting on 47 percent from the field and 31 percent from long range . Rim protection was also huge , with Miami recording nine blocks and the Cavaliers picking up just one block . Ball movement was also critical , with the Heat recording 24 assists while holding the Cavaliers to just 15 assists . The Cavaliers ( 44 - 30 ) had no player reach 20 points scored , as LeBron James led them with 18 points , six rebounds and seven assists . Jose Calderon started and totaled 11 points and two assists . Kevin Love left after just seven minutes due to an elbow to the face . Rodney Hood led the bench with 15 points and three boards . The Heat ( 40 - 35 ) were led by Kelly Olynyk , as he provided 19 points , five rebounds , three assists and three steals off the bench . James Johnson led the starters with 15 points , nine rebounds , five assists , two steals and three blocks . Josh Richardson accrued 15 points , seven rebounds , two assists and two steals . On deck for Cleveland is a road matchup versus the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday . As for Miami , they play host to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday for their next fixture .


The Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls , 102 - 93 , at American Airlines Arena on Thursday . The Heat ( 41 - 35 ) are quite close to clinch a playoff berth after this win , and all they require is either one more win , or one loss from the Detroit Pistons to secure their 20th playoff trip in 30 seasons . This time they did n't have problems to dominate the Bulls ( 24 - 51 ) , as they jumped to a 29 - 21 lead in the first quarter and never looked back . Chicago answered with a 25 - 22 second quarter , but Miami did n't slow down and won the remaining two quarters , 27 - 22 and 25 - 24 , to come away with a comfortable win that puts them on the verge of reaching the playoffs once again . Josh Richardson led the way for Miami with 22 points , while Goran Dragic added 17 points , five rebounds and five assists . Justise Winslow had 13 with nine rebounds and Kelly Olynyk registered 11 points , both coming off the bench . Hassan Whiteside had eight points , seven rebounds , and four assists so he filled the stat sheet quite nicely despite his low - scoring output . Six Chicago players scored in double digits , but it was n't enough and they ended losing either way . David Nwaba was the top scorer with 15 points , seven boards and four assists , while Noah Voleh had a strong double double of 14 points and 13 rebounds . Robin Lopez and Justin Holiday added 13 points , same tally that had Bobby Portis , although the latter also added 16 rebounds off the bench . Cameron Payne delivered 11 points and five assists .


The Brooklyn Nets defeated the host Miami Heat , 110 - 109 , at American Airlines Arena on Saturday evening . The Heat got out to a solid start at home , as they led for almost the entire first quarter and amassed a 32 - 22 lead heading into the second . They led for most of the second quarter , until the Nets made it a two - point game with 3:44 left in the quarter . However , the Heat closed the quarter on a 10 - 5 run , to bring their lead to 55 - 48 at halftime . Brooklyn came out strong in the third and tied it up at 59 just four minutes into the quarter . They kept the pressure on and outscored the Heat 32 - 21 in the quarter , to take an 80 - 76 lead into the fourth . Brooklyn led for most of the fourth , but the Heat clawed back to make it a one - point game with 3:5 remaining . The teams exchanged baskets , culminating with Dwyane Wade sinking the game - tying free throw with 59 seconds left . There was no scoring for the final minute , sending the game to OT . They exchanged buckets once again in overtime , until Caris LeVert hit the go - ahead shot for the Nets with 34 seconds left , leaving the Nets to win it with their defense on the final possession . Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the Nets with 20 points , 14 rebounds , two assists , two steals and one block , in 39 minutes . Caris LeVert followed up with 19 points , 12 rebounds , eight assists , two steals and one block , in 34 minutes off the bench . Jarrett Allen tallied 12 points , three rebounds , two blocks , one assist and one steal . The Nets shot 43 percent from the field , including 10 - of - 35 from long range . Meanwhile , Goran Dragic and James Johnson finished with 18 points each , while Hassan Whiteside tallied 14 points , eight rebounds , two blocks and one steal . Dwyane Wade chipped in 13 points , four rebounds , four assists , one steal and one block , in 27 minutes off the bench . The Heat shot 46 percent from the field , including 7 - of - 18 from long range . The Heat ( 41 - 36 ) will look to bounce back as they play host to the Hawks on Tuesday . The Nets ( 25 - 51 ) play host to the Pistons on Sunday .


The Miami Heat defeated the Atlanta Hawks , 101 - 98 , at AmericanAirlines Arena on Tuesday . The Heat ( 42 - 36 ) secured a winning record and a playoff spot in this huge win against a Hawks ( 22 - 56 ) team that made things complicated at times , but ultimately Miami managed to escape with the win thanks to a great performance during the second half . Miami jumped to a 30 - 25 lead in the first quarter , but Atlanta stormed back and with a 31 - 22 lead they jumped ahead at half time ( 56 - 52 ) . Miami responded with a 26 - 22 third quarter that left the game tied at 78 , but Miami came through in the clutch . A 23 - 20 fourth - quarter win gave the Heat not only the win , but also a much - deserved playoff spot . Goran Dragic was the top scorer for the Heat , as he finished with 22 points , 11 rebounds , three steals and two assists . Hassan Whiteside had a very good performance as well , as he chipped in with 18 points and 12 boards . Tyler Johnson had 12 points , three rebounds and three assists , and James Johnson delivered 10 points , six assists and three steals . Dwyane Wade had 11 points and six assists off the bench . Five Atlanta players scored in double digits , but that was n't enough to secure what would 've been an upset win over Miami . John Collins was the team 's top player with 19 points and 11 rebounds , and Damion Lee delivered 16 points , nine boards , four assists and three steals . Isaiah Taylor had 15 points with nine assists . Tyler Dorsey had 18 points , six rebounds , and four assists .


The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Miami Heat , 115 - 93 , at AmericanAirlines Arena on Monday . The Thunder ( 47 - 34 ) knew they were fighting for their playoff chances down the stretch , but that was n't clear right from tip - off . It was n't noticeable that the Heat ( 43 - 38 ) had already clinched a berth in the Eastern Conference , either , as Miami had no problems to tame Oklahoma City early on . The Heat quickly jumped to a 27 - 21 lead in the first quarter , and they managed to hold on to their lead after the second ( 25 - 28 ) and third quarters ( 29 - 27 ) . But Thunder turned things around with an awesome fourth quarter ( 39 - 12 ) that not only sealed them a huge road win , but also clinched a playoff spot in the Western Conference . Paul George was the top scorer for the Thunder , as he finished with 27 points ( 7 - of - 19 FG ) and three rebounds . Russell Westbrook did his part too , and he finished with a strong triple - double of 23 points , 18 rebounds and 13 assists . Carmelo Anthony chipped in with 11 points , but he only went 4 - of - 11 from the field . Jerami Grant had 17 points and five boards in 21 minutes coming off the bench . Josh Richardson led the way for Miami with 18 points , three rebounds and three assists . Hassan Whiteside had 16 points and eight boards . Tyler Johnson delivered 12 points , four boards and four dimes . Justise Winslow chipped in with 12 points and nine rebounds in 34 minutes off the bench . Goran Dragic struggled , however , and only had four points on 2 - of - 10 from the field though he did add seven assists .


The Miami Heat defeated the Toronto Raptors in overtime , 116 - 109 , at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday . While there was n't a whole lot to play for between these Eastern Conference playoff teams , they left it all on the line in this overtime thriller . In fact , there were 10 ties and 25 lead changes in total , as neither club led by more than 11 points . Miami really dominated the overtime session , outscoring Toronto , 11 - 4 . Rebounding was huge for the Heat , as they outrebounded the Raptors , 56 - 47 . Much of that came on the offensive end , with Miami winning that battle , 19 - 9 . Three-point shooting was also decisive , with the Heat hitting 11 - of - 26 and Toronto connecting on just 9 - of - 30 . The Raptors ( 59 - 23 ) got a near triple - double out of Kyle Lowry , as he collected 28 points , 10 rebounds and nine assists to lead the way . DeMar DeRozan totaled 19 points , six rebounds and three assists . Jonas Valanciunas amassed 12 points , seven rebounds , two assists and three blocks . Jakob Poeltl led the bench with 16 points , 12 rebounds , three steals and two blocks . The Heat ( 44 - 38 ) were led by Wayne Ellington , as he provided 32 points on 12 - of - 16 shooting off the bench . James Johnson led the starters with 11 points , six rebounds and four assists . Tyler Johnson accrued 11 points , seven rebounds and two assists . Hassan Whiteside generated 10 points , 12 rebounds , two assists and two blocks . Toronto finished with the number - one seed in the Eastern Conference while Miami finished seventh . The Heat will face the Boston Celtics in the playoffs while the Raptors will square off with the Washington Wizards .


The Charlotte Hornets defeated the visiting Atlanta Hawks , 109 - 91 , at Spectrum Center on Friday evening . The Hornets ( 1 - 1 ) trailed by 10 after the first quarter and by seven after two quarters , however they came out of halftime with a new intensity and outscored the Hawks 60 - 35 in the second half . The Hawks ( 1 - 1 ) were held to 38 percent from the field and 23 percent from long range , and were hardly able to capitalize on the Hornets ' 21 turnovers . Dwight Howard was a man on a mission for the Hornets , as poured in 20 points and grabbed up 15 rebounds to help lead the way against his former squad . Kemba Walker was the high - point man for the Hornets , with 26 points on 6 - of - 13 shooting , and 10 - of - 12 from the foul line . Frank Kaminsky came up big for the Hornets , with 21 points six rebounds , three assists and a steal , in 33 minutes off the bench . Meanwhile , Dennis Schroder was the bright spot for the Hawks , with 25 points on 11 - of - 21 shooting , five assists , three rebounds and a steal , in 32 minutes . Three other players scored in double digits for Atlanta , including Taurean Prince , who finished with 15 points , six rebounds , two assists and a steal , in 29 minutes . Dwayne Dedmon and Kent Bazemore pitched in 11 points each . The Hawks look ahead to Sunday , when they take on the Nets in Brooklyn . The Hornets have a few days rest before they take on the Bucks in Milwaukee on Monday .


The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Denver Nuggets , 110 - 93 , at Spectrum Center on Wednesday evening . The Hornets ( 2 - 2 ) utilized the always effective combination of strong shooting and swarming defense to secure the comfortable win , one that saw them jump out to a 62 - 39 halftime lead on the strength of a particularly dominant second quarter . Charlotte held the Nuggets ( 1 - 3 ) to 38 percent shooting , including 26 percent from three - point range . The home squad also maximized its bench , as the second unit contributed 49 points to the victory . The highest scoring tally for any individual Charlotte player actually came from a reserve , as Frank Kaminsky led the way with 20 points , a total he supplemented with four rebounds , three assists and a block . Nikola Jokic and Gary Harris paced Denver with matching 18 - point contributions , with the former adding 11 rebounds and the latter supplying two rebounds , one assist and one steal . Jamal Murray followed with 16 points , five assists , three rebounds and one steal . Will Barton led the bench with nine points , seven rebounds , six assists and one steal . Mason Plumlee was productive on the second unit as well , posting eight points , 10 rebounds and three steals . Forwards Paul Millsap ( eight points , five rebounds ) and Wilson Chandler ( seven points , five rebounds , five assists ) could n't get much going offensively , going a combined 6 - for - 19 from the field . Kemba Walker followed Kaminsky with 19 points , five assists and four rebounds . Malik Monk poured in 17 off the bench , a total he complemented with two rebounds , two assists and two steals . Jeremy Lamb totaled 16 points , five assists , two rebounds , a steal and a block . Dwight Howard registered a 15 - point , 19 - rebound double - double that also included a pair of blocks . Marvin Williams pitched in with nine points , four rebounds and two steals . The Nuggets continue on the road and next head to Atlanta to do battle with the Hawks on Friday evening , while the Hornets remain home to face the Houston Rockets on that same night .


The Houston Rockets defeated the host Charlotte Hornets , 109 - 93 , at Spectrum Center on Friday evening . The Hornets ( 2 - 3 ) got out to a promising start , leading by three after the first quarter , however the Rockets ( 5 - 1 ) fired back , outscoring the Hornets 29 - 16 in the second quarter and took a 56 - 46 lead into the half . The Hornets came out strong in the third and trimmed the deficit to four points heading into the final frame . The fourth quarter belonged to the Rockets , as they outscored the Hornets 31 - 19 with a barrage of three - point shooting . James Harden led the way for the Rockets by notching his first triple - double of the season with 27 points , 11 assists and 10 assists , in 36 minutes . Eric Gordon went 9 - of - 22 from the field and played a key role in the win , with 26 points , in 38 minutes . Ryan Anderson also came up large , as he poured in 21 points on 7 - of - 16 shooting . P.J . Tucker provided good energy off the bench , with nine points , 13 rebounds , two assists and one block , in 37 minutes . Meanwhile , Kemba Walker was the high - point man for the Hornets , with 26 points on 8 - of - 22 shooting . Dwight Howard went beast mode against his former team , with 19 points and 16 rebounds , in 31 minutes . Jeremy Lamb added 20 points , while Malik Monk chipped in 10 points in 27 minutes off the bench . The Hornets shot 37 percent from the field in the contest and despite Howard 's best efforts , were out - rebounded by the smaller opponent . The Hornets have a chance to bounce back when they play host to the Magic on Sunday . The Rockets will be right back in action as they take on the Grizzlies in Memphis on Saturday .


The host Charlotte Hornets defeated the visiting Orlando Magic , 120 - 113 , on Sunday afternoon . Charlotte ( 3 - 3 ) enjoyed what was easily its best offensive night of the season thus far . All-Star point guard Kemba Walker delivered his strongest outing of the new season , leading the team with 34 points and 10 assists . Walker 's early production helped the Hornets gain an early double - digit lead in the first quarter , which they were able to maintain to varying degrees for the remainder of the game . Despite never fully pulling away , the Hornets played consistently well throughout the game . Charlotte dominated Orlando on the glass , finishing with a 59 to 40 rebounding advantage . On offense , the team finished shooting over 54 percent from the floor and had all five starters score in double figures , including three who scored at least 20 points . Veteran center Dwight Howard entered the game averaging a league - best 18 rebounds per game . Though he posted his season low , pulling down only 10 , he was able to earn his sixth consecutive double - double as he scored 22 points . Howard and fellow veteran big man Marvin Williams were crucial to the win , as the duo combined for 35 points and 21 rebounds on 15 - of - 21 shooting . Orlando ( 4 - 2 ) , meanwhile , entered the matchup atop the Eastern Conference thanks to what has been an unexpectedly successful start to the season . The Magic boasted the second - best offensive rating in the league before visiting Charlotte and continued to look strong on offense despite the loss . Orlando splashed home 11 three - pointers and knocked down 20 free - throws , excelling at reaching the line throughout the game . Breakout stars Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon , who entered the game averaging over 22 points per game each , impressed once again . The duo combined for 40 points , while Gordon blocked two shots and came away with two steals . The Magic 's top performer , though , proved to be bench wing Jonathan Simmons . Simmons scored a whopping 27 points in just 32 minutes off the bench . Thanks to strong play from Simmons and the second unit , Charlotte 's lead was never able to remain safe despite the game 's final outcome . The Hornets will visit Memphis on Monday , while the Magic will visit New Orleans .


The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Milwaukee Bucks , 126 - 121 , at Spectrum Center on Wednesday evening . The contest had the vibe of a shootout right from the opening quarter , with the Bucks ( 4 - 4 ) emerging from the period with a 32 - 25 advantage . The Hornets ( 5 - 3 ) turned the tables in the second period and forged a 60 - 57 halftime lead . The two teams began the fourth quarter deadlocked at 88 - 88 and a 13 - 4 run by Charlotte over the opening 3:12 of the period gave them a 101 - 92 lead . They owned a 113 - 98 edge with 5:23 remaining before a 23 - 13 run by Milwaukee made matters interesting . However , two clutch free throws by Jeremy Lamb with four seconds left and the home squad clinging to a three - point lead helped to seal the hard - fought win . As the final score implied , the game featured impressive shooting efforts by both clubs , with the Hornets ' 54 percent success rate ( including 56 percent from three - point range ) slightly outpacing the Bucks ' 50 percent overall figure , which included a 53 percent tally from long distance . Turnovers are the area in which Charlotte distanced itself , as it committed 18 but elicited 25 from Milwaukee . Khris Middleton led the Bucks with a game - high ( and career - high ) 43 points , along with seven assists and five rebounds . Malcolm Brogdon managed 20 points , four assists and one rebound . Tony Snell provided 17 points , three assists and two rebounds . Giannis Antetokounmpo turned in a 14 - point , 13 - rebound double - double that also included five assists , two steals and two blocks . Mirza Teletovic led the bench with 12 points , which he complemented with four rebounds and one assist . Kemba Walker paced the Hornets with 26 points , three assists , two rebounds and one block . Rookie Malik Monk followed with a career - high 25 points off the bench , a total he supplemented with two rebounds , one assist and one steal . Dwight Howard supplied a 17 - point , 11 - rebound double - double , along with three assists and one steal . Lamb poured in 16 points overall and also contributed four rebounds and two assists . Marvin Williams managed 15 points , four rebounds and one steal . Frank Kaminsky and Dwayne Bacon were productive on the second unit as well with 11 and 10 points , respectively . The Bucks next head to the Motor City to tangle with the Detroit Pistons on Friday night while the Hornets visit the San Antonio Spurs on that same night .


The visiting Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Charlotte Hornets , 115 - 107 , at Spectrum Center on Wednesday . LeBron James scored 31 points to lead the Cavaliers , but he was on the bench when the Cleveland ( 8 - 7 ) took the lead for good late in the game . James picked up his fourth foul with 3:31 to play in the third quarter , and went to the bench , trailing 82 - 79 . Moments later , Kyle Korver hit a 3 - pointer that gave the Cavaliers an 86 - 84 lead with 1:6 left in the quarter that they would not relinquish . James returned with 8:58 to play and help extend a 95 - 88 lead to double digits in the fourth quarter . Kevin Love totaled 22 points and 10 rebounds as the Cavaliers won their third consecutive game . Jeff Green had 13 points , while Korver added 11 and J.R. Smith had 10 . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored a season - high 22 points but could n't prevent the Hornets ( 5 - 8 ) from losing their fifth in a row . Kemba Walker had 20 points and seven assists . Nic Batum totaled 16 points , six assists and five rebounds in his first game of the season after a tearing a ligament in his left elbow in October . Both teams are back in action Friday with the Cavaliers playing host to the Los Angeles Clippers and the Hornets at the Chicago Bulls . Cavaliers : Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night .


The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers , 103 - 87 , at Spectrum Center on Saturday evening . Kemba Walker , the Hornets ' most prized offensive piece , came into Saturday night 's contest partly compromised because of a wrist injury suffered in Friday 's three - point loss to the Bulls . However , the All-Star point guard battled through any discomfort to score a game - high 26 points , a total he supplemented with six assists and two rebounds . Walker was 8 - for - 17 from the field overall , including an impressive 6 - for - 9 from three - point range . The Hornets ( 6 - 9 ) also were extremely careful with the ball , committing only eight turnovers while eliciting 14 from the visiting Clippers ( 5 - 10 ) . Their defensive effort also included limiting Los Angeles to just 40 percent shooting overall , including 28 percent from three - point range . Lou Williams paced the Clippers with a 25 - point effort off the bench , and he added four assists and two rebounds . Blake Griffin totaled 19 points , eight rebounds and four assists . DeAndre Jordan followed with a 10 - point , 14 - rebound double - double that also included two assists and two blocks . Wesley johnson and Austin Rivers provided matching nine - point efforts , with the former adding five rebounds , one assist , two blocks and one steal , and the latter supplying four boards , three assists and one steal . Jeremy Lamb , back on the second unit now that Nicolas Batum has returned to action , led the bench with 17 points , four rebounds , one assist and two steals . Dwight Howard mustered a 16 - point , 16 - rebound double - double that also included one assist , two steals and one block . Batum filled out the stat sheet with 12 points , seven assists , four rebounds , two blocks and one steal . Marvin Williams tallied 10 points , four rebounds , one assist , two blocks and one steal . The Clippers next to the Big Apple to take on the New York Knicks on Monday night , while the Hornets remain home to tangle with the Minnesota Timberwolves on that same evening .


The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves , 118 - 102 , at Spectrum Center on Monday night . The Hornets ( 7 - 9 ) came into Monday 's contest having just emerged from a six - game losing streak and looking to start stringing together consecutive wins after a rather uneven start to their season . They faced an uphill battle despite being at home , considering the Timberwolves ( 10 - 7 ) had gotten off to a solid start on the strength of an impressive array of offseason acquisitions . The contest was unsurprisingly a hard - fought one throughout , but a 34 - point fourth quarter finally gave Charlotte some breathing room and ultimately led to a 16 - point margin of victory . Their work on the glass was pivotal , as they outrebounded the visitors by a 52 - 38 margin . Dwight Howard was the team MVP on the night in that regard and overall , as he led the way with a 25 - point , 20 - rebound double - double that also included four blocks . Jamal Crawford paced the Timberwolves with 19 points in 18 minutes off the bench , a total he supplemented with two rebounds and two assists . Jeff Teague provided 18 points , two rebounds , two assists , three steals and three blocks . Karl-Anthony Towns matched Teague 's point total and added 12 rebounds , two assists and one block . Jimmy Butler posted 14 points , seven rebounds and one steal . Andrew Wiggins supplied 11 points , two assists , one rebound and one steal . Taj Gibson notably scored just one point on a free throw and added six rebounds , two assists , one steal and one block . Frank Kaminsky was right behind Howard with 24 points in 22 minutes off the bench , and he added three rebounds and three assists . Nicolas Batum totaled 17 points , four rebounds , two assists and two steals . Jeremy Lamb was productive on the second unit as well , pouring in 16 points and complementing them with five rebounds , three assists and one steal . Kemba Walker managed 14 points , four rebounds , three assists , one steal and one block . Cody Zeller turned in 10 points , four rebounds and two assists . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist posted eight points , three boards , one assist and two blocks . The Timberwolves return home to face the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night , while the Hornets remain home to face the Washington Wizards on that same evening .


The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Washington Wizards , 129 - 124 , in overtime at Spectrum Center on Wednesday night . The back - and - forth affair saw the Hornets ( 8 - 9 ) enter the fourth quarter trailing 88 - 84 and falling behind by as much as 111 - 102 with 3:32 remaining . However , a 12 - 3 Charlotte run to close out regulation - - capped by a pair of game - tying free throws from Kemba Walker with two seconds left - - sent the contest into overtime . A Walker 26 - foot three - pointer with 3:20 remaining in overtime gave the Hornets a 119 - 116 lead that they would n't relinquish , sending the Wizards ( 10 - 8 ) losers for the third time in the last four contests . Both teams enjoyed strong shooting nights , with Washington posting a 48 percent success rate from the field and the home squad draining 47 percent of their 91 shot attempts . John Wall led the Wizards with 31 points , a total he supplemented with 11 assists , one rebound , one steal and one block . Bradley Beal followed with 22 points , four rebounds , two assists , two steals and one block . Markieff Morris managed 14 points , eight boards , one assist and one block . Mike Scott tallied a bench - leading 13 points , along with four rebounds . Otto Porter , Jr. pitched in with 12 points , four rebounds and one assist . Marcin Gortat mustered a modest eight points but hauled in 11 rebounds , dished out three assists and recorded two blocks . Dwight Howard paced the Hornets with a 26 - point , 13 - rebound double - double that also included three assists and one block . Walker followed with 24 points , five rebounds and five assists . Jeremy Lamb matched Walker 's scoring total off the bench and added seven rebounds , five assists and three blocks . The forward duo of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams contributed matching 12 - point tallies , with the former also posting seven rebounds , two assists , one steal and one block , and the latter registering four rebounds , four assists and one steal . Frank Kaminsky was productive off the bench with 12 points , five boards and two assists . Michael Carter-Williams pitched in 11 points and three steals in 18 minutes . The Wizards next take the court on Saturday night at home against the Portland Trail Blazers , while the Hornets visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday evening .