Clippers rally from 17-point deficit to beat Heat and extend win streak

The Clippers seemed to be in the clear Thursday night when, with three minutes to go in the first quarter, Miami’s Bam Adebayo went to the bench.

One night after Adebayo had scored 28 points in a loss to the Lakers, the big man had blistered the Clippers for 19 points in only the game’s first nine minutes. But his exit for a rest did not yield a reprieve. Out of a timeout, Miami made four of its next five shots to grow its lead to 17 and put the Clippers in a position that was both familiar and surprising.

Early deficits have been as much a feature of this Clippers season as Chuck the Condor or questions about Kawhi Leonard’s knee (he has progressed to performing box jumps, coach Tyronn Lue said). But those were mostly the function of an offense unable to hit shots, not a filleting of one of the NBA’s top defenses, as Adebayo had done.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra knew better than anyone in the arena to expect such a run to last. The architect of a Clippers defense that entered Thursday allowing the league’s third-fewest points per 100 possessions, assistant Dan Craig, was the same who had designed Miami’s during years as Spoelstra’s right-hand man before joining the Clippers following Miami’s 2020 Finals run.

“I already know there’s nothing I can do that’s going to surprise him,” Spoelstra said before tipoff. “I know he’s probably watched all of our [tendencies after timeouts], everything that we normally try to take advantage of.”

Few have been able to take such advantage of the Clippers’ defense and resilience the past two weeks, and not even Adebayo’s start or Kyle Lowry’s finish, when he scored 22 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter for Miami, could break a winning streak that has now reached six straight after a 112-109 win that wasn’t over until Nicolas Batum deflected Miami’s inbounds pass with four seconds to play to secure the Clippers’ sixth consecutive win.

“I just tried to anticipate a little bit,” Batum said. “Kyle was the guy on fire for them so kind of figure that the play was for him.”

Paul George scored 27 points for the Clippers (7-4) and guard Eric Bledsoe followed one of his season’s best passing performances with one of his best shooting, for 21 points.

Adebayo finished with 30 for Miami (7-5).

Playing without Leonard should have been a death knell for a defense that was only statistically average last season when he sat. Instead the unit entered Thursday allowing opponents 43.5% shooting, the league’s second-stingiest mark. They had been even better amid the Clippers’ five previous wins — allowing the league’s sixth-fewest second-chance points, second-fewest points in transition and lowest field goal percentage, at 41.7%.

Clippers center Isaiah Hartenstein blocks the shot of Miami Heat forward Caleb Martin during second half action at Staples Center.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

When they did in Thursday’s third quarter, their lead grew during what have been the Clippers’ diciest stretches all season — the minutes that George sits for rest. When George checked out midway through the third the Clippers had been rendered completely ineffective at keeping Miami off of the offensive glass and clinged to a three-point lead.

It had grown to seven when George returned six minutes later. In between, Miami had made only three of its 12 shots with one attempt erased by a block by Batum — which Spoelstra vehemently argued was a goaltend — and led to a layup by Reggie Jackson at the other end.

But even after George drew an offensive foul on Adebayo with two minutes left and the Clippers up seven, this win required a last defensive stand.

Lowry, whose jumper had been blocked by Zubac only minutes earlier, drew successive four- and three-point plays at the expense of the center to pull within 108-107. Lowry’s pass in transition then found an open Duncan Robinson with 15 seconds left and a chance to lead, but he missed and the rebound was ripped out of Adebayo’s hand and into the Clippers’ grips.

Then Batum tipped away the final inbounds pass. The Clippers made 15 of their 17 free throws, including four by Jackson (22 points) in the last 11 seconds.

If the game became the latest showcase for the Clippers’ defensive improvement under Craig, it also continued Bledsoe’s own step forward on offense.

Making nine of his 16 shots, and stepping into three-pointers confidently — this was the version of Bledsoe the Clippers expected after trading for him in August. Though he had earned high marks from Lue for his pace and defense against opponents’ top guards, he had also shot only 33% overall and 18% from deep, 17 percentage points lower than his career three-point average.

“They just told me to play my game,” Bledsoe said. “Don’t worry about the mistakes. They welcomed me with open arms here.”