MIAMI — Bogdan Bogdanovic had the game so many Clippers fans have been waiting on.
Bogdanovic, a Serbian sharpshooter who was acquired from Atlanta at the trade deadline in early February, scored a season-high 30 points to go with 11 rebounds and Ivica Zubac added 26 points and 14 rebounds, helping the Clippers beat the Miami Heat, 119-104, on Wednesday night.
James Harden had 24 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Clippers, who won for the fourth time in five games and pulled within 1½ games of idle Golden State for the No. 6 – and last guaranteed – playoff spot in the Western Conference. Amir Coffey added 13 points.
Bogdanovic, who had averaged 11.2 points and 2.8 rebounds through his first 13 games with the Clippers, shot 11 for 16 from the field, including a 4-for-7 showing from 3-point range.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who had 29 points in a loss in New Orleans on Tuesday, was held out on the second night of a back-to-back set. Leonard, 33, has played just 23 games this season due mostly to a knee injury. Norman Powell (hamstring) also missed another game.
The Clippers were also again without Coach Tyronn Lue, who has missed three straight games while dealing with back pain. Assistant coach Brian Shaw again served as acting coach.
The Clippers got off to a strong start and held a 30-20 lead by the end of the first quarter but Miami worked its way back into the game. The Heat got within 42-38 on a Terry Rozier 3-pointer with 7:45 left in the second quarter. Pelle Larsson got the assist from his back after diving head-first for a loose ball.
The Clippers led 57-52 at halftime and extended their advantage to 92-84 after strong third-quarter play from Zubac (11 points) and Bogdanovic (10). A 13-4 run over a 3-minute span of the fourth quarter pushed the Clippers’ lead from eight to 17, and Miami never seriously threatened again.
Tyler Herro scored 31 points, seven assists and six rebounds and Andrew Wiggins added 22 points for the Heat, who fell 2½ games behind Atlanta in the race for the No. 7 spot and most advantageous play-in position in the Eastern Conference. Bam Adebayo was held to six points – 12 below his average, but contributed seven rebounds, seven assists and a game-high five steals. Heat reserve Duncan Robinson scored 15 points.
The Clippers shot 59.2% from the field overall, including 13 for 27 from 3-point range, and had a 56-46 scoring advantage in the paint. The Heat shot 47.6% overall, including 14 for 37 from long range.
DID YOU KNOW?
Zubac has 10 consecutive double-doubles. He’s the sixth player to do that this season, joining Domantas Sabonis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Karl-Anthony Towns, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama. … Leonard couldn’t add to his career-long success against the Heat. When Leonard plays – for San Antonio, Toronto or the Clippers – his teams have won 15 consecutive regular-season games against Miami. The last time he played in a loss against the Heat, excluding the NBA Finals, was 2013.
UP NEXT
The Clippers conclude their three-game trip in Atlanta on Friday at 4:30 p.m. PT.
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