Nikola Jovic's Career-High 29 Points Lead Miami Heat Past Portland Trail Blazers 136-131
Nikola Jovic scored a career-high 29 points off the bench, along with nine rebounds and seven assists, as the Miami Heat narrowly defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 136-131 on Saturday night.
Norman Powell contributed 22 points for Miami, supported by Pelle Larsson's 16 points and Andrew Wiggins' 15 points. Jaime Jaquez Jr. added a strong performance with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. Kel’el Ware helped control the boards with 12 rebounds.
Jovic’s previous top scoring game was 24 points.
For Portland, Deni Avdija led with 33 points, maintaining his season average of 25.3 points per game. Shaedon Sharpe scored 21 points, while Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant each tallied 18 points. The Trail Blazers were starting a five-game road trip.
Exciting Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter was tightly contested, with neither team leading by more than four points until the final moments. Holiday’s 3-pointer with 3:26 left tied the game at 123-all, setting up a tense finish.
Wiggins’ 3-pointer with 1:32 remaining gave Miami a 132-127 lead, and the Heat held on to win.
Miami improved to 4-0 at home this season and 6-2 when scoring at least 115 points. The Heat are winless (0-2) when scoring less than 115.
Game Start and Momentum
On Friday, Miami set a franchise record with 53 first-quarter points, but on Saturday they began cold, missing 14 of their first 15 shots, falling behind 15-3 early. However, they recovered quickly to secure the victory.
Author's summary: Nikola Jovic’s personal best helped Miami pull off a close home win over Portland, showcasing the Heat’s resilience after a rocky start and strong offensive depth.
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