NBA Game Recap - Miami at Phoenix
Fri Dec 7, 2018 9:00 PM EST

DEN
107
CHA
113
F
IND
112
ORL
90
F
PHI
117
DET
111
F
TOR
105
BKN
106
F(OT)
SAC
129
CLE
110
F
OKC
112
CHI
114
F
MEM
107
NO
103
F
LAL
120
SA
133
F
MIA
115
PHO
98
F
GS
105
MIL
95
F

Miami 115, Phoenix 98

Dec 7, 2018, 9:00 PM EST

Final

1

2

3

4

T

Miami

34

26

29

26

115

Phoenix

36

14

23

25

98

Adebayo's career-high 22 points helps Heat beat Suns 115-98
Sat Dec 8, 2018 12:18 AM

PHOENIX (AP) The depleted Phoenix Suns gave the Heat a little resistance before normalcy was restored, and Miami became the latest team to win in the desert.

Bam Adebayo scored a career-high 22 points, 20 in the first half, and the Heat opened a six-game trip by handing the Suns their eighth straight loss, 115-98, on Friday night.

Justise Winslow added 20 points, including all four of his 3-point tries, and Rodney McGruder scored 14 points for Miami. Goran Dragic, back after missing eight games with a sore right knee, had 11 points and 10 assists.

"It feels good," Dragic said. "I was a little winded but I feel great. I'm satisfied."

The Suns again were without their top two scorers. Devin Booker missed his third straight with left hamstring strain, and T.J. Warren his fifth straight with right ankle soreness.

Troy Daniels made 6-of-10 3-pointers for a season-high 18 points for Phoenix. Deandre Ayton had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix. Rookie De'Anthony Melton, in his first career start, scored all 12 of his points in the third quarter for the Suns, who, at 4-22, have the NBA's worst record.

"After the first quarter, that wasn't the tone we wanted to set for the game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "From there we followed up with a 14-point defensive quarter in the second quarter and some good things in the second half on both sides of the floor."

After scoring fewer than 10 points in the first quarter of each of their previous two games, the Suns shot out to a 36-34 lead after one period against Miami.

But coach Igor Kokoskov had a hard time calling it an improved offensive performance, considering his team's 21 turnovers (resulting in 29 Miami points).

"It cost us the game," he said.

Still, Kokoskov said, "the energy was much, much better than last night" in a blowout loss in Portland.

Daniels' third 3-pointer of the half gave Phoenix its last lead, 45-43, with 4:53 left in the second quarter. Miami scored the next 11 points in what became a 17-2 run. McGruder's 3-pointer capped the outburst and put the Heat up 60-47. Mikal Bridges' steal and 3-pointer at the buzzer cut the Miami lead to 60-50 at the half.

Richardson and McGruder sank 3s in an 8-0 spurt that put the Heat ahead 80-62, and they led 89-73 entering the fourth quarter.

Phoenix briefly cut it to 91-79 before an 8-1 surge made it 99-80 with eight minutes left. The Heat led by as many as 22 points after that.

ADEBAYO TIME

Adebayo, who also grabbed 10 rebounds, got extra playing time with the absence of Hassan Whiteside.

"I feel like I do that every night. I provide energy if he's in or he's out," Adebayo said. "I just had to take care of business. There was just a lot of energy."'

Spoelstra said of Adebayo, "He was all over the place."

TIP-INS

Heat: Miami was without Wayne Ellington due to a death in the family and is expected back on Monday. Whiteside remained in Miami for the birth of his first child. ... Adebayo's previous career high was 19 points at Cleveland on Nov. 28, 2017. ... It was Miami's first road game against a Western Conference team this season. ... The Heat have won 19 of their last 21 against Phoenix. ... Dwyane Wade stuck around and talked to cheering fans, and traded jerseys with Jamal Crawford, after his last game in Phoenix. Wade is retiring after this season and this was the first of his last visits to NBA cities.

Suns: In the previous two contests, Phoenix was the first NBA team in the shot-clock era to score fewer than 10 points in the first quarter of consecutive games. ... Daniels hit double figures for the third straight game. ... Phoenix signed G Juwan Evans to a two-way contract. Evans and another G-League player, George King, were active for the Suns Friday.

UP NEXT

Heat: At Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Suns: Host Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

---

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

Leaders

Miami PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
B. Adebayo 22 20 2 10 1 1
J. Winslow 20 8 6 8 1 1
Phoenix PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
T. Daniels 18 -3 0 4 0 0
D. Ayton 16 -11 2 11 0 1

Team Comparison

MIA PHO
Points For 115 98
Field Goals 42/86-49% 36/79-46%
Three Pointers 15/37-41% 14/34-41%
Free Throws 16/18-89% 12/16-75%
Offensive Rebounds 6 4
Defensive Rebounds 34 38
Rebounds 43 50
Blocks 5 4
Steals 10 7
Turnovers 12 20
Points Scored Off Turnovers 29 16
Points in the Paint 52 36
Fast Break Points 18 9
Personal Fouls 16 21
Technical Fouls 0 0
Flagrant Fouls 0 0
Ejections 0 0

2018-19 Reg Season - MIA Leads Series 1-0

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Fri Dec 7 MIA 115 @ PHO 98 B. Adebayo 22 T. Daniels 18

Game Information

Stadium: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 14,273
Game Time: 2:4