The Trail Blazers (3-2) erased a 19-point deficit to claim a narrow fourth-quarter lead, but the Heat (3-2) surged back as Portland dropped its second game of the season Sunday in Miami, 120-111, at AmericanAirlines Arena.
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The Heat (3-2) took an 11-point lead into the second quarter and maintained a double-digit advantage for much of the game before the Trail Blazers offered a run that looked as though it would change the tide.
Trailing by 13 points, 94-81, with nine minutes to play, Portland evened the score with a quick 15-2 run – all with Damian Lillard watching from the bench. Lillard returned following a Miami timeout and promptly buried a three to give Portland its first lead since the opening quarter. But the Blazers could never stretch that lead, and Miami’s 10-0 run in the closing minutes swung the momentum back in the home team’s favor for good.
Lillard continued his scorching start to the season with 42 points (15-28 FG, 5-11 3-PT, 7-7 FT), giving him back-to-back games of 40+ points for the first time in his career. In addition, Lillard’s 169 points this year are the most by a Trail Blazer in the first five games of a season, breaking a record Lillard set in 2016-17 (163 points).
Miami gained its lead in large part thanks to a throwback performance from Dwyane Wade. His corner 3-pointer to close the first half gave him 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting (4-5 3-PT) and the Heat a 15-point advantage, 57-42, going into the break.