Nikola Jovic's Career-High 29 Points Lead Heat Past Trail Blazers 136-131
Nikola Jovic scored a career-high 29 points off the bench, adding nine rebounds and seven assists to help the Miami Heat narrowly defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 136-131 on Saturday night.
Norman Powell contributed 22 points for Miami, while Pelle Larsson added 16, Andrew Wiggins scored 15, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. recorded a double-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. Kel’el Ware grabbed 12 rebounds.
Jovic's previous best was 24 points. For Portland, Deni Avdija scored 33 points, maintaining his season average of 25.3 points per game. Shaedon Sharpe added 21 points, with Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant each scoring 18.
The fourth quarter was tightly contested, with neither team holding more than a four-point lead until the end.
[translate:Holiday connected on a 3-pointer with 3:26 left to tie the game at 123-all, setting the stage for the finish.]
Wiggins then hit a crucial 3-pointer with 1:32 remaining to give Miami a 132-127 lead, which they protected to improve their home record to 4-0 this season.
Miami's record now stands at 6-2 when scoring at least 115 points and 0-2 when scoring below that threshold. After setting a franchise record with 53 first-quarter points on Friday, the Heat started cold on Saturday, missing 14 of their first 15 shots and falling behind 15-3, but recovered strongly.
Summary: Nikola Jovic's standout 29-point performance off the bench propelled the Miami Heat to a close 136-131 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, marking an undefeated home streak this season.
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