Norman Powell chipped in 21 points in his return to Southern California, while Andrew Wiggins and rookie Kel’el Ware added 17 and 16 respectively. The win snapped Miami’s two-game losing streak and marked just their second road victory in the last five games. The Heat improved to 1–2 to begin their four-game West Coast trip.

James Harden paced the Clippers with 29 points, and Kawhi Leonard followed with 27 in a tight contest that came down to the final possession. Ivica Zubac contributed nine points and 18 rebounds, while Derrick Jones Jr., Bradley Beal, and John Collins each finished with 12.

Both teams were efficient offensively, but turnovers proved costly for Los Angeles. The Clippers shot 50% from three-point range (17 of 41) and 54.2% overall, yet their 21 turnovers turned into 37 Miami points — a difference that ultimately swung the outcome.

The Heat led by as many as 13 in the third quarter before the Clippers stormed back to tie it at 105–105 on a three-pointer from veteran guard Chris Paul with just under 10 minutes left. From there, the teams traded baskets down the stretch.

Adebayo sank a pair of free throws to put Miami up 120–116 with 56 seconds remaining. After he missed a short jumper on the next possession, Harden buried a deep three with 20 seconds left to cut the deficit to one.

Los Angeles had one last chance to steal the win, but Leonard’s step-back three from 26 feet at the buzzer bounced off the rim, sealing Miami’s narrow victory.