What Bam Adebayo feels Heat’s win over league-best Thunder shows

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What Bam Adebayo feels Heat’s win over league-best Thunder shows

Zachary Weinberger, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sun, Jan 18, 2026 ·

5 min read

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MIAMI – Following the Miami Heat 's loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday night, team members reflected on the 21-20 start to the season, noting a common trend that they are better than their record suggests. Although it's been an inconsistent season for the Heat, Saturday night has the chance to mark the start of a breakthrough, as the team handed the Oklahoma City Thunder its eighth loss of the season, 122-120, in a stunning victory.

Leading the way was Miami captain Bam Adebayo , who scored a team-high 30 points on nine of 22 shooting from the field, making a career-high six three-pointers out of 10 attempts. To go along with 12 rebounds, four assists, and bring elite defense, it was the performance needed to galvanize the Heat to commit just four turnovers, capture 21 offensive rebounds, and outscore Oklahoma City on second-chance points, 33-9.

It still came down to the very end with the go-ahead shot being an Andrew Wiggins three off a great pass from Norman Powell , then a defensive stop at the end to give the team their best win of the season.

"Man, that was a hard-fought win ," Adebayo said to ClutchPoints. "We had to strap for that one. It just shows what we're capable of. Now it's on us to be more consistent with that type of game and really commit to that because, as you buy into what coach is preaching, it can lead to Ws."

Norman Powell on the Heat's direction after Thunder win

Coming off the Heat's last dreadful road trip , the team would go 2-1 in the finished home stand, but there was no doubt that the loss to the Celtics on Thursday stuck with the team.

After another loss where the Heat couldn't gut out a win, despite leading the whole game, Powell would reveal Miami was "let down" after and expressed how Saturday's win over the Thunder was a huge step in the right direction.

"We have a goal of mine," Powell said. "Coach gave us a stat from last year, and we want to reach that. You know, definitely felt a little let down after the Boston game, but the way we came together in between the games and talked about it, watch film. I thought we came out and set the right tone and play to our identity. We were able to sustain our identity offensively, defensively throughout the course of the game, no matter what run they went on."

"What call went their way or didn't go our way," Powell continued. "We were mentally tough; we stood together every dead ball. We were in the huddle, talking to each other, for the ones that are on the floor, about how we could be better, what we saw. And even in the timeouts, everybody was collectively engaged on what we needed to do. And with guys out, coming off the bench, those guys stepped up for us."

A fan might be wondering what statistic Powell is talking about that head coach Erik Spoelstra showed the team before the game. Well, they won't know, as Powell says, that's being kept "internal," but whatever it showed, it gave Miami major motivation to knock down the reigning NBA champions.

Erik Spoelstra on what was 'fueling' the Heat during Thunder win

There was a ton of standout aspects of the win, like how the Heat shot 111 times from the field compared to Oklahoma City's 77, and how Miami shot 50 three-pointers compared to the Thunder's 29. Despite superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 39 points, the Heat played fast and physical, which is their recipe for success.

But, there appeared to be a mentality change after the loss to the Celtics, with Spoelstra saying to ClutchPoints how that outcome was "fueling" the team.

"It was one of these after the Boston game, where there was just, I mean, utter frustration and anger after that game, where we felt like we out-played them for the overwhelming majority of the game, and lost the game," Spoelstra said. "So there was a lot of that fueling us. And this was by any and whatever means necessary game, whatever it takes. And you just saw those incredible efforts down the stretch and some of those second-chance opportunities."

The win over the Thunder was crucial for many reasons, especially in reminding the 22-20 Heat that they can compete with anybody, even with people missing, as the team was without Tyler Herro , Davion Mitchell , and Jaime Jaquez Jr. due to injury.

Also, it gives Miami major momentum with the team now embarking on a five-game road trip, which starts on Monday night against Jimmy Butler and the Golden State Warriors .

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