Norman Powell praised his teammates and highlighted the impact of Bam Adebayo as the Miami Heat overcame a slow start to defeat the Golden State Warriors 110-96 on Wednesday at Kaseya Center.
“In the second half… Dru did a great job making sacrificial plays offensively, defensively, being in the right spots and creating energy for us to get going,” Powell said.
Powell led the Heat with 25 points, while Adebayo returned from a six-game absence to contribute 20 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Powell emphasized the stabilizing effect of Adebayo’s presence: “Not just his activity… but just a steady vocal leader on the defensive end… making sure the coverages are right.”
Miami capitalized on Golden State’s depleted lineup, which was missing Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and Al Horford. The Heat outscored the Warriors 38-22 in the fourth quarter and converted 34 points off 23 turnovers.
Powell stressed the importance of maintaining offensive flow: “The ball got a little sticky… we weren’t letting the offense work to find the open shot. Once we started working the game, swinging the ball and attacking closeouts, you saw a more energized group.”
Kel’el Ware added 16 rebounds in 19 minutes, providing a strong bench presence. Powell highlighted Ware’s contributions: “Big time… making second and third efforts, keeping plays alive, making it difficult for them when they attacked the rim and securing the rebounds to get us going.”
Golden State briefly led 60-59 midway through the third quarter after Miami’s early 20-4 advantage, but a 21-4 run by the Heat late in the third and early fourth secured the win. Powell noted the effectiveness of secondary actions in the fourth quarter: “Being a recipient of that… attacking closeouts and finishing plays… gave us multiple options to put pressure on the paint and collapse defenses.”
Powell, one of Miami’s most consistent scorers this season, described his approach: “My mentality… has always been the same: be aggressive, take what the defense gives me, play my game, make the right reads, and win basketball games.”
Miami (9-6) will face the Chicago Bulls on Friday, while Golden State (9-8) returns home to host Portland, both teams adjusting after challenging stretches of games.
