The Warriors went to South Beach Wednesday, struggled for much of the game and still wound up drenching the Miami Heat.
Splash Brothers Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 75 points, as the Warriors outlasted the stubborn Heat 118-112 before a sellout crowd at American Airlines Arena.
Curry poured in a game-high 42 points and Thompson threw in 33 to lead the offense. Two other Warriors scored in double figures, as Harrison Barnes tossed in 11 and Draymond Green added 10.
This was among the more difficult victories this season for the Warriors (51-5), as they spent most of the game playing from behind. They trailed by as many as 12. Their bench was outscored 43-20 by the Miami reserves.
But the Warriors shot 57.9 percent to win the fourth quarter, with a 38-29 advantage. Thompson scored 17 points in eight minutes during the final quarter.
Dwyane Wade scored 32 points to lead Miami (32-25), while Hassan Whiteside came off the bench with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
STANDOUT PERFORMER:
Curry and Thompson share the honor, as Curry kept the Heat within range through three quarters before Thompson grabbed the baton in the fourth.
Curry’s line: 42 points (14-of-29 shooting, 6-of-12 from beyond the arc), seven assists and seven rebounds. He was plus-7 for the game.
Curry needed only 79 seconds after tipoff to drill a 3-pointer for the 127th game in a row, tying him with Hawks guard Kyle Korver for most consecutive games with at least one trey.
Thompson’s line: 33 points (13-of-25 shooting, including 4-of-8 from deep), four steals and three rebounds. He was plus-9.
TURNING POINT:
After a pair of Wade free throws gave Miami a 108-107 lead with 56.5 seconds left, the Warriors closed the game with a 11-4 run.
The Warriors took the lead for good on a Curry 3-pointer with 39.3 seconds left. They were 8-of-8 from the foul line (Curry with 4, Thompson with 2 and Green with 2) over the final 24 seconds to seal a game that was close throughout the second half. The teams never separated by more than four points until the final 15 seconds.
INJURY UPDATE:
Warriors: Warriors: F James Michael McAdoo (L foot toe sprain) was declared out prior to tipoff. C Festus Ezeli (L knee surgery) is not with the team.
Heat: F Luol Deng (dislocated finger), listed as probable, was in the starting lineup. G Beno Udrih (R foot surgery), F/C Chris Bosh (undisclosed medical condition) and G Tyler Johnson (L shoulder surgery) were listed as out.
WHAT’S NEXT:
The Warriors return to action Thursday in Orlando, where they will face the Magic at Amway Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. (PST).
