The Portland Trail Blazers came up short in a hard-fought battle against the Miami Heat on Wednesday night, being outscored 26-12 in the final quarter of a 104-92 defeat in South Beach. The Blazers got a terrific first half performance from their backcourt, as the duo of Anfernee Simons and CJ McCollum combined for 40 points by halftime, but the team faltered down the stretch.
Thanks to a stifling defensive effort in the fourth quarter and a clutch performance from Bam Adebayo, the Heat were able to secure the victory despite star Jimmy Butler being ejected from the game in the second quarter.