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Lakers vs. Heat: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
- Updated: December 23, 2016
The Miami Heat trailed by as many as 19 points in the first half, but a balanced scoring effort that saw five players score at least 14 points allowed them to snap their three-game losing streak and slip past the Los Angeles Lakers 115-107 at American Airlines Center Thursday night.
Miami’s complete effort was spearheaded by Justise Winslow, who stole the show by snapping out of his shooting slump with a career-high 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting to go with 13 rebounds and four steals.
Justise Winslow was special tonight.He scored a career-high 23 points and snagged 13 boards. @MiamiHEAT win 115-107 over the @Lakers. pic.twitter.com/I1ExFF1GWJ
— NBA (@NBA) December 23, 2016
Hassan Whiteside pitched in 23 points and 13 boards, while James Johnson and Goran Dragic dropped 19 and 21 points, respectively. Tyler Johnson got in on the action with 14 points and six assists, and the Heat shot 53.6 percent from the field and 50 percent from three in the offensive showcase.
The Lakers received 27 points from Lou Williams, 20 from Nick Young and 17 from D’Angelo Russell, but defensive shortcomings down the stretch prevented them from making good on a stellar first half.
Defense was in short supply throughout the first half, and the Lakers looked far more polished in the early going against a listless Heat team that was devoid of focus and tactical coordination.
As a result, the Lakers pounced on an opportunity to seize control.
Timofey Mozgov (14 points, six rebounds) didn’t shy away from a disengaged Whiteside throughout the game’s opening stages, using his physicality to get to the rim and create separation for a couple of nice mid-range looks, as the NBA on TNT documented:
.@SHAQ already making up new nicknames… “Mozgov-Olajuwon” https://t.co/YkZIesSc1s
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 23, 2016
Behind the combined efforts of Mozgov, Russell and Williams, the Lakers pushed their lead up to as many as 19 in the second quarter. However, that edge quickly dissolved in the second quarter when the …
