Klay Thompson hit a game-winning 3-pointer with one second left to complete a 20-point comeback, giving the Miami Heat a 117-116 overtime victory over the LA Clippers on Wednesday.
With the Clippers clinging to a two-point lead in the closing seconds of the extra period, Thompson found himself wide open in the left corner after a baseline screen from Heat center Bam Adebayo. Giannis Antetokounmpo quickly inbounded the ball to Thompson, who turned and launched before Clippers guard Kobe Sanders could recover defensively. The shot swished through with one second remaining.
“I felt like I had so much space,” Thompson said. “I’m not going to say that’s an easy shot for me, but I’ve taken so many thousands of corner 3s, especially in that left corner. It’s probably the easiest shot on the perimeter for a righty like myself. I got my feet down and planted, and it felt really good coming off my fingertips.”
Heat Erase Early Deficit
Thompson’s heroics, a strong second-half defensive effort and a game-high 35 points from Adebayo allowed Miami to erase the Clippers’ 20-point lead. After Sanders missed a desperation heave at the buzzer, the Heat swarmed Thompson in a jubilant celebration.
“Great screen by Bam and great shot by Klay,” Antetokounmpo said. “Bam was able to get him wide open. I delivered the ball to him, and he knocked down the shot. Whenever he shoots the ball, you feel like it’s going in.”
Thompson scored 30 points and made eight 3-pointers, while Miami improved to 3-5 after losing its first four games of the season. The 36-year-old forward made eight 3-pointers in a game for the first time since December 2023, when he was still with the Golden State Warriors. A four-time NBA champion who ranks fourth in league history in 3-pointers, Thompson signed with the Heat in free agency this summer after reaching a buyout agreement with the Dallas Mavericks.
“You can fight Father Time, and [Thompson] is doing it,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s putting in a ton of time on his body, getting in shape, and that’s allowing him to show the skill set he’s had in his Hall of Fame career.”
A Controversial Finish in Regulation
Thompson’s shot provided a rare moment of pure joy during a rocky start to the Heat’s season. Spoelstra acknowledged that Miami is still putting the pieces together after its blockbuster trade for Antetokounmpo in July, but he also praised the Heat’s “grit” in the comeback, which nearly unraveled over a controversial call at the end of regulation.
Miami successfully challenged a foul call on Pelle Larsson in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. However, Clippers forward Rui Hachimura still received two free throws because officials determined that Adebayo had committed a defensive foul during the frantic sequence. Hachimura missed the first free throw and made the second, sending the game into overtime.
“The guys earned their ice,” Spoelstra said. “We haven’t really earned our ice many times [this season]. … It’s good to finally get some karma on our side. I think it was the karma of the defensive intensity and grit in that second half.”