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Klay Thompson hits winning 3 with a second left in OT as Heat rally past skidding Clippers 117-116
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- Klay Thompson hits winning 3 with a second left in OT as Heat rally past skidding Clippers 117-116
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Klay Thompson made the winning 3-pointer with a second left in overtime and the Miami Heat rallied past the reeling Los Angeles Clippers 117-116 on Wednesday night.
Bam Adebayo set season highs with 35 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, who have won three of four after losing their first four games. Thompson scored 30, going 8 of 17 from 3-point range, and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points, 14 boards and six assists.
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Miami trailed by 20 late in the second quarter and was still down 10 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the fourth before a 9-0 spurt set up the tight finish.
Darius Garland had 26 points and seven assists to pace the Clippers, who have lost seven games in a row since winning their season opener Oct. 21 against Sacramento.
Rui Hachimura added 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Brook Lopez had 20 points and eight boards.
Garland hit a tiebreaking jumper with 1:58 remaining in overtime and his floater gave the Clippers a 116-112 lead with 1:19 left. But then Adebayo connected inside to cut the margin to two, and Los Angeles never scored again.
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Antetokounmpo grabbed a defensive rebound with 3.8 seconds to play and, after a Heat timeout, he found Thompson open in the left corner on an inbounds pass for the decisive 3.
Kobe Sanders missed a desperation heave at the buzzer for the Clippers.
Brandon Ingram (Achilles) and Bradley Beal (knee) are still recovering from injuries and are yet to play for Los Angeles this season.
Trailing by nine after one quarter, the Clippers scored the first 10 points of the second to begin a 26-2 surge that gave them a 50-35 lead on a 3-pointer by rookie guard Keaton Wagler. They opened a 63-43 cushion on a 3 by Garland with 3:12 remaining in the first half and went into the break with a 67-52 advantage after outscoring Miami 43-19 in the second period.
Up next
Heat: At Golden State on Thursday night.
Clippers: Host New Orleans on Sunday night to conclude a three-game homestand.
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