The Miami Heat bounced back strong from Saturday’s loss to Minnesota, torching the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 125-106 on Sunday night at Kaseya Center. Norman Powell caught absolute fire from beyond the arc, dropping a game-high 34 points on a career-high nine made threes to power the Miami Heat to victory. Miami improved to 20-16 on the season, winning five of their last six games. The New Orleans Pelicans losing streak extended to seven straight games as the Pelicans fell to 8-29 overall.
Powell was unstoppable, shooting 11-of-15 from the field and 9-of-12 from deep in one of his most explosive performances as a member of the Heat. He had 20 points by halftime alone, including five triples. Powell buried three more during a pivotal 21-2 run in the third quarter that blew the game open.
The Heat’s defense forced a season-high 19 steals and turned New Orleans’ season-high 24 turnovers into 31 fast-break points, overwhelming a Pelicans team that struggled mightily after a competitive first half.
Rookie big man Kel’el Ware continued his impressive play. Ware scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds off the bench for another double-double.
Nikola Jovic scored 19 points off of the bench. Pelle Larsson added 16 points off of the Heat bench as well.
For the Pelicans, Trey Murphy III led the way with 27 points in his return from back spasms, and rookie Jeremiah Fears added 21. Zion Williamson was held scoreless in the second half after scoring 12 early, as Miami’s pressure disrupted New Orleans throughout.
More Heat Contributions:
• Bam Adebayo scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out six assists.
• Davion Mitchell scored nine points, grabbed three rebounds, and dished out six assists.
• Andrew Wiggins scored 10 points, grabbed two rebounds, and dished out three assists.
The Heat hit the road next, facing the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday in a quick rematch from Saturday’s loss. They will look to carry this momentum and sharp shooting into this four-game road trip.
