NBA: Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler help Heat hold off Lakers
Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat reacts after making a basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the third quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on November 06, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Megan Briggs/Getty Images/AFP
MIAMI — Bam Adebayo had the first 20-rebound triple-double in Miami history, Jimmy Butler scored 28 points and the Heat survived a big offensive drought at the end to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 108-107 on Monday night.
Adebayo had 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists for Miami in what became his sixth regular-season triple-double. Tyler Herro also scored 22 points for the Heat, and Duncan Robinson added 12.
Article continues after this advertisementLeBron James led all scorers with 30 points for the Lakers, who fell to 0-4 on the road. Austin Reaves was an assist shy of a triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. The Lakers didn’t have Anthony Davis for the final 14 minutes; he left the game twice with a left hip spasm and finished with nine points and six rebounds.
BAM DROPPED A 20 PTS, 20 REB TRIPLE-DOUBLE 🔥
22 PTS
20 REB
10 AST
WThe first in @MiamiHEAT history. pic.twitter.com/LuiiDiLlS4
— NBA (@NBA) November 7, 2023
Adebayo was called for traveling with 8.9 seconds remaining, giving the Lakers a final chance. The inbounds pass went to James, who drove right, attracted defenders and found a wide-open Cam Reddish for what would have been a game-winning corner jumper.
Article continues after this advertisementIt bounced off the rim, Butler secured the rebound and time expired. Neither team scored in the final 2:39, the Heat didn’t have a field goal in the final 4:15 — and won anyway, by getting stop after stop at the end. Among them: Kyle Lowry taking a charge against James with 1:57 left, with the listed difference in height and weight among those players being nine inches and 55 pounds.
D’Angelo Russell got ejected with 7:52 left for picking up a pair of technical fouls for arguing, and the free throws by Herro put the Heat up 100-88 — just 32 seconds after the Lakers had a chance to get within three points.
Taurean Prince missed a 3-pointer that would have cut Miami’s six-point lead in half, and the game quickly changed. Jaime Jaquez Jr. had a layup, then Russell had a turnover, and Jaquez Jr. had another layup. Adebayo had assists on both of those scores by Jaquez, giving him the triple-double, and Russell was ejected for arguing after the second basket.
The Lakers started Monday night with five players — Rui Hachimura (concussion), Gabe Vincent (knee), Jaxson Hayes (ankle), Jarred Vanderbilt (heel) and Jalen Hood-Schifino (knee) — all out with injuries.