The Miami Heat need every win they can get as they figure out how to maximize the Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo pairing. And on Wednesday night, they needed all 48 minutes of regulation and an extra five minutes in overtime to take down the Los Angeles Clippers — with Klay Thompson having the final say in the Heat's 117-116 victory to move to 3-5 on the season.
With 3.1 seconds left in the game and the Heat having advanced the ball after securing the defensive stop on the previous possession, Giannis Antetokounmpo found Thompson wide-open on the corner after he came off a good screen from Bam Adebayo.
Thompson, who already had 27 points and seven triples prior to that play, was the worst man to leave open for the Clippers. And as he's done for most of his career, the 36-year-old sharpshooter drilled the go-ahead triple, which proved to be the decisive blow.
There was still a second left in the contest after Thompson's made triple, but the Clippers no longer had any timeouts left. As a result, Kobe Sanders had to throw up a heave from the backcourt, which fell way short to seal the Heat's victory.
On the night, Thompson put up 30 points on 11-of-22 shooting from the field, and he made eight of his 17 shots from beyond the arc. The Heat needed a hero, and Thompson proved to be the man for the job as he turned back the clock for a team that's in desperate need to string together some victories.