Malik Monk propels Lakers past Heat in OT
Malik Monk #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to his three pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter during a 126-123 Lakers overtime win at Staples Center on November 08, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP
Malik Monk scored five of his season-best 27 points in overtime to help the Los Angeles Lakers post a 120-117 victory over the visiting Miami Heat on Wednesday night.
Russell Westbrook had 25 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds for his 187th career triple-double and third for the Lakers.
Anthony Davis registered 24 points and 13 rebounds and Avery Bradley made five 3-pointers while scoring 17 points for Los Angeles, which played without LeBron James (abdominal strain) for the fourth straight game.
Bam Adebayo had 28 points, 10 rebounds and six steals for the Heat, who lost their second straight game. Tyler Herro scored 27 points, Kyle Lowry recorded 18 points and 11 assists, Duncan Robinson scored 12 points and P.J. Tucker had 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Miami star Jimmy Butler sustained a right ankle injury and didn’t play after scoring seven points in the first quarter.
27 points for @AhmadMonk on 10-13 shooting in the @Lakers OT win! pic.twitter.com/jwXXzbm8F9
— NBA (@NBA) November 11, 2021
Adebayo’s dunk gave Miami the early lead in overtime before Monk scored the next five and Davis followed with a layup to give the Lakers a 119-114 lead with 1:55 remaining.
The Heat pulled within two on Adebayo’s layup with 23 seconds left, but Herro missed a 3-point attempt with nine seconds remaining before Carmelo Anthony split two free throws with 6.5 seconds to play.
Herro missed another 3-point try with 4.2 seconds remaining, and Los Angeles held on.
Miami was also without Markieff Morris (neck), who was injured when he was shoved behind by Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic on Monday.
Westbrook hit a 14-foot jumper to give Los Angeles a 112-110 lead with 27.4 seconds to play in regulation before Tucker slammed home a putback with 23.5 seconds left.
Westbrook missed a 3-pointer as the clock ran down, and Davis missed the tip-in just before the buzzer of regulation.
Anthony and Wayne Ellington added 12 points apiece for Los Angeles, which shot 50 percent from the field and made 18 of 38 from 3-point range.
The Heat sank 41.7 percent of their field-goal attempts and hit 10 of 37 from behind the arc.
Miami used a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter, capped by Tucker’s tip-in, to go ahead 102-93 with 6:54 to play.
Bradley banked in a 3-pointer and Westbrook followed with a layup to pull Los Angeles within one with 2:48 to go. Monk split two free throws to tie it at 108 with 1:23 left.
In the second quarter, Robinson made a 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds left to give the Heat a 57-55 lead entering halftime.
