Thanks in large part to a 30-point effort from Goran Dragic, the Miami Heat were able to squeak by the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night with a 92-91 victory. During his post-game media availability, Lakers point guard Isaiah Thomas was asked to comment on the go-ahead fader he missed with time expiring.
“Yeah, I thought it was going in,” Thomas told ClutchPoints after Friday night's loss. “It was just short. I got a good look and I got the separation that I wanted, it just fell short.”
Kyle Kuzma knocked down a three-pointer to give the Lakers a 91-90 lead late in the fourth quarter. However, Dragic answered with a 10-foot floater in the lane, which gave the Heat a one-point advantage.
Lakers head coach Luke Walton revealed that the team's final play was actually designed for Julius Randle, who led Los Angeles in scoring with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
“The guy defending (Lonzo Ball) did a good job of leaving and denying Julius,” coach Walton said. “We couldn’t get the ball in. Isaiah got a clean look though. We can’t complain about that. I think he was probably a little cold. He had been on the bench for a while but if you get an open look for someone like IT at the end like that, you live with that.”
Thomas, now 29 years of age, logged 27 minutes against the Heat on Friday night, scoring five points on 1-9 shooting from the field (0-2 from beyond the arc), three assists and two rebounds.
The Lakers — now the third-ranked team in the Pacific Division standings with a 31-38 overall record — will be back in action on Monday, as they're scheduled to kick off a four-game road trip with a matchup against the Indiana Pacers. Tip-off inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse is set for 7:00 p.m. EST.
Follow Us
Subscribe