Heat defense not enough to slow down high-scoring Clippers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paul George and Landry Shamet each scored 23 points to lead eight Clippers players in double figures as Los Angeles beat the Miami Heat 128-111 on Wednesday night for its third consecutive win.

Shamet’s points were a season high and he scored 14 off the bench in the fourth quarter, pouring in 10 straight for Los Angeles. Kawhi Leonard added 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Clippers, who trailed by 12 in the first half before taking control over the final two periods.

Shamet wasn’t the only Los Angeles shooter to get hot in the fourth. JaMychal Green hit three 3-pointers, the last one extending the lead to 107-92.

Derrick Jones Jr. paced six Heat players in double figures with a career-high 25 points and nine rebounds. Bam Adebayo added 22 points and 11 boards. The two of them combined to score all but six of Miami’s 31 points in the fourth.

Jones opened the fourth with a huge one-handed dunk, and Adebayo followed later with a jam of his own.

The Heat closed within six just before Shamet scored the next 10 points for the Clippers. After that, George added a 3-pointer of his own to go with Shamet’s long-range barrage.

Miami tied the game for the last time on a basket by Kendrick Nunn early in the third. From there, the Clippers outscored the Heat 26-15, getting six 3s in a spurt that gave them a 92-80 lead going into the fourth. George scored eight straight points as part of the run.

George had 10 assists in his fourth game since missing nine with a left hamstring strain.

The Heat opened a 12-point lead in the second quarter, bolstered by three 3-pointers from Gabe Vincent and eight points from Jimmy Butler after he had just two in the first period. Butler finished with 11. The Clippers trailed 58-55 at halftime.

TIP-INS

Heat: Meyers Leonard was out of the starting lineup for the first time this season because of a left ankle sprain. … Miami fell to 12-13 on the road and 3-7 against the West away from home.

Clippers: Patrick Beverley left with a sore right groin and didn’t return. He had five points and five rebounds in 22 minutes. … Los Angeles won the season series, including a 122-117 victory in Miami on Jan. 24.

UP NEXT

Heat: At the Sacramento Kings on Friday, the second stop on a five-game trip leading into the All-Star break.

Clippers: At the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday to start a four-game trip.