National Basketball Association
Miami 112, L.A. Lakers 98
When: 7:30 PM ET, Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Where: Miami-Dade Arena, Miami, Florida
Officials: #37 Eric Dalen, #9 Natalie Sago, #74 Curtis Blair
Attendance: 20221

Jimmy Butler scored 27 points, Bam Adebayo added 23 points and 14 rebounds and the Miami Heat handed the visiting Los Angeles Lakers their fifth loss in the last six games, winning 112-98 on Wednesday.

Butler and Adebayo both returned to the lineup after missing Miami's win over Minnesota on Monday -- Butler from a sprained ankle and Adebayo from an illness -- to shoot a combined 21 of 34 from the floor.

Butler finished 11 of 18, despite missing all four of his 3-point attempts, while Adebayo went 10 of 16.

Their efforts paced all five Heat starters to double-figure scoring, joining Tyler Herro with 18 points, Caleb Martin with 13 and Gabe Vincent with 12.

Miami led for most of the contest, its advantage swelling to as many as 22 points in the third quarter.

For the second time in as many games, the Heat endured poor overall shooting from 3-point range at 31.4 percent. Aside from Herro's 3 of 7 and Martin's 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, the rest of the Miami roster went just 5 of 24.

The Heat compensated with stifling defense, however, forcing Los Angeles into 24 turnovers. Butler led the defensive effort with six steals, while Victor Oladipo added three swipes. Herro contributed two.

Miami also flexed its muscle on the glass and in the lane, outscoring the Lakers 19-9 on second-chance points and 52-40 for points in the paint.

LeBron James matched Butler for a game-high of 27 points, and also added nine rebounds with six assists, but committed six turnovers. Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook each scored 15 points, with Westbrook dishing a team-high eight assists.

Troy Brown Jr. shot 5 of 6 off the bench for 14 points in the loss, as Los Angeles fell to 1-2 on its current, five-game road swing, and fell to 2-5 since Anthony Davis left the lineup with a stress injury to his right foot.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
L.A. Lakers   Miami
LeBron James 27 Scoring Jimmy Butler 27
Russell Westbrook 8 Assists Tyler Herro 9
LeBron James 9 Rebounds Bam Adebayo 14
LeBron James 5 Free Throws Made Jimmy Butler 5
Patrick Beverley 1 Steals Jimmy Butler 6
Patrick Beverley 1 Blocks Bam Adebayo 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
L.A. Lakers 98 48.1 13-36 11-15 25 44 4 2 26
Miami 112 47.8 11-35 13-16 20 37 4 14 6
Upcoming Games
  • Miami will play their next game on the road against Denver. The Heat have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .529 after a loss.
  • L.A. Lakers will play their next game on the road against Atlanta. The Lakers have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .333 after a loss.