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Steven Adams of the New Orleans Pelicans is defended by Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat.
NBA finalists in 2020, the Miami Heat defeated the New Orleans Pelicans with Kiwi center Steven Adams 111-98 in a showdown on Christmas Day (Saturday NZT) in Miami.
Miami, defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 in the NBA Finals in October, led the Pelicans to 29-26 after the first quarter and 66-53.
New Orleans was within 10 in the fourth quarter, but the Heat repelled the challenge.
On opening day, the Pelicans beat the Toronto Raptors 113-99 on the road, and Adams received praise from coach Stan Van Gundy.
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Adams played 32 minutes, scored 6 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and gave an assist.
Zion Williamson led New Orleans’ attack with 32 points and 14 rebounds, with Brandon Ingram scoring 28.
Michael Reaves / Getty Images
Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans goes up for a layup against the Miami Heat.
For Miami, the score was more widely distributed across the team, Duncan Robinson scored 23, Goran Dragic 18 and Bam Adebayo 17.
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra stayed perfect this Christmas, with Robinson’s record-setting show helping him stay that way.
Robinson hit seven 3-pointers, his most tied for Christmas at 23 points.
Spoelstra went 8-0 at Christmas as coach of the Heat.
The Pelicans were outscored 48-30 from 3-point range and shot just 40 percent to Miami’s 51 percent.
Josh Hart scored 12 for New Orleans.
Robinson’s seven 3s tied the mark Ingram set last year. Jimmy Butler did not play in the second half for Miami, ruled out due to a stiff right ankle.
Michael Reaves / Getty Images
Duncan Robinson of the Miami Heat looks for a fumble with Steven Adams.
JJ Redick’s 3-pointer with 7 minutes and 43 seconds left cut Miami’s lead to 91-85 and came during a stretch when the Heat went five minutes without a field goal. But the Pelicans didn’t come close.
The Heat restored order by scoring 11 of the game’s next 13 points, and when Achiuwa, the rookie who had good defensive minutes, forced Williamson to lose the ball with 3 minutes and 55 seconds to play, the entire Miami bench fell. got up to celebrate.
New Orleans led 17-9 midway through the first quarter, and was outscored 52-21 by Miami over the next 13½ minutes, with the Heat hitting nine of their 13 3-pointers in the first half in that span en route to a lead of 23 points. . Robinson made three 3s in a two-minute stretch in the middle of that outburst.
Ingram’s running back with 2 minutes 23 seconds left in the third cut Miami’s margin to single digits for the first time since the start and his 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left in the period sent the Pelicans back to 88-79 in the room.
Things and AP
