Bam Adebayo delivered a stellar performance with 30 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Miami Heat to their first road victory of the season as they held off the Memphis Grizzlies 108-102 on Wednesday night.
In a closely contested game, Adebayo proved to be the driving force for Miami, particularly in the fourth quarter, where he notched 16 points to help the Heat withstand a pair of spirited rallies by the Grizzlies. Memphis managed to cut the deficit to 105-102 after Santi Aldama’s clutch 3-pointer with just 35.5 seconds remaining. However, it was the Miami rookie, Jaime Jaquez Jr., who delivered the decisive blow with a three-pointer of his own, sealing the win with 18.4 seconds left.
Kyle Lowery had a well-rounded performance for the Heat, contributing 17 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, while Jimmy Butler added 15 points to the scoreboard.
Jaren Jackson Jr leads Memphis charge
For the Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson Jr. led the charge with 28 points, but it wasn’t enough to secure the victory. Desmond Bane added 15 points, and Luke Kennard chipped in with 13, but Memphis continued to struggle, remaining winless at home.
Despite Memphis’ occasional efforts to narrow the gap, especially in the third quarter, the Heat managed to respond with timely runs throughout the game. Heading into the fourth quarter, Memphis had pulled within one point at 77-76 after a 17-4 run spanning the third and fourth quarters allowed them to briefly overtake the Heat. However, the game settled into a pattern of lead changes, with Miami ultimately mounting a decisive rally to secure the win.
The Heat faced an unfortunate setback when starting guard and leading scorer Tyler Herro exited the game in the first quarter due to a right ankle injury. He limped to the locker room and did not return.
Miami will take on Atlanta on Saturday, while Memphis is set to host Utah on Friday in the NBA In-Season Tournament.
