Nikola Jovic's Career-High Propels Miami Heat Past Portland Trail Blazers
On Saturday night, Nikola Jovic scored a career-high 29 points off the bench, along with nine rebounds and seven assists, helping the Miami Heat narrowly defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 136-131.
Key Performances for Miami Heat
- Norman Powell led Miami with 22 points
- Pelle Larsson contributed 16 points
- Andrew Wiggins added 15 points, including a crucial 3-pointer late in the game
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. posted a near triple-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists
- Kel’el Ware grabbed 12 rebounds
Portland Trail Blazers' Efforts
- Deni Avdija scored 33 points, maintaining his season average of 25.3 points
- Shaedon Sharpe put up 21 points
- Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant each scored 18 points
Game Highlights
The tightly contested fourth quarter saw neither team lead by more than four points until the final moments. Jrue Holiday hit a 3-pointer with 3:26 remaining to tie the game at 123-all. Later, Andrew Wiggins' 3-pointer at 1:32 gave Miami a 132-127 lead, which they maintained to secure the win.
Miami improved to 4-0 at home this season and 6-2 when scoring at least 115 points, while losing both games when scoring below 115. Despite setting a franchise record with 53 first-quarter points on Friday, Miami started cold on Saturday—missing 14 of their first 15 shots and falling behind 15-3 early, but recovered effectively.
"Jovic's previous career-best was 24 points."
Portland faced the first game of a five-game road trip, adding extra challenge to the contest.
Author's summary: Nikola Jovic's breakout performance energized the Miami Heat to a narrow victory against Portland, highlighting key contributions and resilience despite a slow start.
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