‘Easy trip’ to Mexico is a success for Heat
The Miami Heat spent a lot of time in the past couple of days as a group of tourists in Mexico City. When they got back in the court, they were all business.
Goran Dragic and Tyler Johnson each scored 20 points and Miami beat the Brooklyn Nets 101-89 on Saturday in the Heat’s first game in Mexico in franchise history.
Playing in front of 19,777 fans at raucous Arena Ciudad de Mexico, Dragic was 9-for-19 from the field and had seven rebounds to help the Heat snap a two-game losing streak and improve to 12-13.
“It was a terrific and easy trip coming down from San Antonio,” said Miami’s coach Erik Spoelstra, who said he visited as many coffee shops as possible. “We had a day off to go out and see the city ... you don’t travel all this way to watch TV in your room. I’m going to need to get on a diet after this trip. It was fun but then we got back to work and we prepared good for tonight’s game.”
James Johnson added 17 points, Justise Winslow had 15 and Kelly Olynyk 11 for Miami. The Heat rallied from two seven-point deficits, using a stingy defense that allowed only 36 points in the second half.
“It was a great game for us, especially on the defensive end,” Dragic said. “Tyler played great and the second unit gave us the extra boost that we needed. We have a deep bench and everybody can play.”
Miami arrived Wednesday night after suffering a loss in San Antonio. The players had a video session the day after and Spoelstra let them visit the city the rest of the day. Most of the players and coaches went shopping and sight-seeing in Polanco, an upscale neighborhood in the capital.
“The fans are terrific, it’s a great environment,” Spoelstra said. “I was pleasantly surprised walking around and seeing NBA games on the TV everywhere we went, and the fans recognized us. It felt like we were in Miami.”
By arriving two days ahead of the game, the Heat had a chance to know the city but it came with a price because they struggled early in the game with the altitude. Mexico City, at 7,350 feet above sea level, is at a far higher elevation than Denver — the NBA’s highest venue at 5,280 feet.
Cavaliers 105, 76ers 98: LeBron James had his 58th career triple-double and Cleveland rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Philadelphia. James had 30 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists to help the Cavaliers bounce back from a loss in Indiana on Friday night that ended their 13-game winning streak. Sixers forward Robert Covington fell into Cleveland’s bench trying to save a loose ball with just over a minute to play. He was down for a couple of minutes before being helped to his feet.
Thunder 102, Grizzlies 101: Russell Westbrook overcame a poor shooting night, recording a triple-double, and hit two game-clinching free throws with 5.2 seconds left in overtime to lead visiting Oklahoma City past Memphis. Westbrook, who was 7-for- 29 from the field and missed 11 of his 12 three-point attempts, added 14 assists and 11 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony and Steven Adams led the Thunder with 21 points and nine rebounds each, while Alex Abrines, starting for the injured Paul George, added 20 points, converting five three-pointers.
Rockets 124, Trail Blazers 117: James Harden scored 48 points and visiting Houston won its ninth straight, overcoming a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat Portland. Harden was 16-for-29 from the field and had eight rebounds to help the Rockets (20-4) win for the 12th time in 13 road games this season. Damian Lillard tied a franchise record with nine threepointers and had 35 points for Portland (13-12). C.J. McCollum had 28 points, and Al-Farouq Aminu added 15, all on threepointers.
Lakers 110, Hornets 99: Jordan Clarkson scored 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and visiting Los Angeles beat Charlotte. Brandon Ingram added 18 points, Kentavious CaldwellPope 15 and Lonzo Ball had five points and nine assists for the Lakers. They have won two straight after losing five in a row.
Clippers 113, Wizards 112: Lou Williams hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining, lifting host Los Angeles past Washington. With Bradley Beal guarding him, Williams unleashed the winner from the top of the key, capping a wild final 12 seconds in which both teams traded leads on clutch plays. After Williams’ basket, there was a video review of Beal’s potential winning baseline jumper. The referees decided to replay the last 1.1 seconds. Marcin Gortat’s jumper bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
Hawks 117, Magic 110: Ersan Ilyasova scored 26 points on 9-for-9 shooting and Atlanta overcame Nikola Vucevic’s triple-double to beat visiting Orlando. Vucevic had 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, and Jonathan Simmons added 29 points for the Magic. They beat the Hawks 110-106 in overtime Wednesday in Orlando.
Bulls 104, Knicks 102: Kris Dunn made two free throws with 2.9 seconds left to lift host Chicago past New York. Dunn was fouled by Courtney Lee while driving to the basket. Following a timeout, the Knicks — who scored 10 straight points to tie it at 102 — had a chance to tie or take the lead, but Kristaps Porzingis missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer.
Bucks 117, Jazz 100: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 37 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists and Milwaukee beat visiting Utah for its third consecutive victory. The Bucks built a 22point lead early in the fourth quarter and held on after the Jazz pulled within single digits.
Spurs 104, Suns 101: Bryn Forbes sank a three-pointer with 21.5 seconds to play and severely depleted San Antonio held off a fourth-quarter Phoenix rally to beat the host Suns. The Spurs left Pau Gasol and Manu Ginobili home to rest after a victory over Boston on Friday night and had Danny Green (left groin tightness) and Kyle Anderson (left MCL sprain) out with injuries.