Wiggins, Adebayo Rescue Heat in Thriller Against Thunder 122-120
It wasn’t the play Erik Spoelstra likely drew up in the huddle, nor was it the shot anyone in the Kaseya Center expected to define the night. But in a season defined by grit and next-man-up rotations, it was fitting that Andrew Wiggins—not a max-contract superstar—delivered the dagger.
With 31 seconds remaining and the game teetering on a knife’s edge, Wiggins buried a corner 3-pointer that finally put the Miami Heat ahead for good, capping a wild 122-120 win.
The win wasn’t just another notch in the standings; it was a testament to a team that refuses to fold, even when the roster sheet looks more like a MASH unit than a lineup card. Missing Tyler Herro to a sore toe and Jaime Jaquez Jr. to a knee sprain, Miami needed every ounce of production from its rotation. They got it, surviving a 39-point masterclass from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and snapping an ominous streak for the visitors.
Adebayo expands his range when it matters most
While Wiggins hit the winner, Bam Adebayo kept the Heat alive long enough to take it.
Adebayo finished with 30 points, but the stat line doesn’t tell the full story. It was the way he got them. Known for his paint dominance and mid-range jumper, the All-Star center stepped out and drained a career-best six 3-pointers.
This wasn’t just Adebayo taking what the defense gave him; it was a fundamental shift in the geometry of the Heat offense. With the Thunder defense collapsing to protect the rim against Miami’s drives, Adebayo made them pay from deep. It’s an evolution Miami fans have been waiting for, and it arrived out of absolute necessity. Without Herro’s perimeter gravity, Adebayo took it upon himself to space the floor.
“He’s reading the game at a different level right now,” the coaching staff noted post-game. When your center is hitting six triples, it opens up driving lanes for everyone else, and on Saturday, that spacing was the oxygen the Heat offense desperately needed to breathe.
Surviving the Gilgeous-Alexander onslaught
You don’t stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; you only hope to contain the damage. The Thunder superstar was electric, carving up the Heat defense for 39 points. Every time Miami threatened to pull away, Gilgeous-Alexander had an answer, utilizing his unique rhythm and footwork to get to his spots.
The Thunder came into Miami with a terrifying statistic: they were undefeated this season when scoring at least 120 points. By the time the final buzzer sounded, they had hit that 120 mark exactly—but left with a loss.
Breaking that trend required a frantic defensive effort in the final seconds. After Wiggins’ go-ahead bucket, the Thunder had two legitimate looks to tie or win. Chet Holmgren, who had battled Adebayo all night, missed a chance to knot the score. Then, as time expired, Alex Caruso’s desperation 3-pointer clanked off the iron, sending the Miami crowd into a frenzy.
Injuries pile up on both sides
The physical toll of the NBA season was on full display Saturday. The Heat were already operating with a skeleton crew in the backcourt due to Herro’s absence.
But the Thunder didn’t escape unscathed either. Jalen Williams, a crucial piece of Oklahoma City’s young core, exited the game with right thigh soreness. His absence in the closing minutes changed the complexion of the Thunder’s offense, allowing the Heat defense to key in even more aggressively on Gilgeous-Alexander.
It’s the reality of January basketball. Rotations get tight, legs get heavy, and the teams that can find production deep on their bench are the ones that survive.
The resilience of Culture
This game encapsulates why the Heat remain one of the league’s most dangerous wildcards. On paper, a matchup against the high-flying Thunder without two of your top scorers looks like a scheduled loss.
Instead, Miami turned it into a statement.
They got timely buckets from role players. They got a transformative performance from their captain, Adebayo. And they got a game-winner from Wiggins. It was a victory manufactured through sheer will and defensive scrambling.
Miami dominated the glass, specifically on the offensive end where the hustle stats live, and forced just enough chaos in the final minute to steal a victory.
As the team heads back to the locker room to ice their bruises, this win serves as a reminder to the rest of the East: The Heat might be battered, but they are never out of the fight.
