Heat escapes with win over Lakers despite another shaky fourth quarter. Takeaways and details

Five takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 108-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers (3-4) on Monday night at Kaseya Center to close a three-game homestand at 2-1. The Heat (3-4) now hits the road to begin a four-game trip on Wednesday against the Grizzlies in Memphis:

The fourth quarter continues to be a struggle for the Heat, but the result was a win.

It appeared the Heat had taken control, pulling ahead by as many as 13 points in the third quarter and entering the fourth quarter with an 11-point lead.

The Heat even led by 12 points with 7:52 to play, but the Lakers responded with a 19-8 run to pull within one point with 2:39 left in the final period.

Los Angeles then had plenty of opportunities to take the lead in the final minutes, but the Lakers missed their final four shots of the fourth quarter as the Heat held on for the victory.

On the final possession of the night, Lakers star LeBron James whipped a cross-court pass to an open Cam Reddish in the final seconds for a shot that would have likely won the game for Los Angeles. But Reddish’s 22-foot jumper from the corner bounced off the rim and into Heat star Jimmy Butler’s hands for the rebound as the final buzzer sounded.

“He literally whipped it to the corner for a wide open three,” Butler said. “Cam shot it and missed it. Good for us because I think it would be a different conversation I would be having with you right now. But we got the W.”

In fact, neither team scored in the final 2:39 of the game after the Lakers cut the deficit to one point.

But even as the Heat left the court victorious, it’s clear the fourth quarter continues to be a problem for Miami.

The Lakers won the final period 28-18, as the Heat has now been outscored in the fourth quarter in six of the first seven games of the season.

Even including the one fourth quarter the Heat has won this season, it has been outscored by a total of 44 points in the final period this season.

In Monday’s ugly fourth quarter, the Heat totaled just 18 points on 6-of-18 shooting from the field and 1-of-9 shooting on threes while committing nine turnovers.

“We’ll continue to figure this out,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It’s much better to finish it out when you get a win. There were a lot more good things in this game than negatives. I’m not going to be a downer about this one. It’s a good win. Obviously, we have to clean up some of the things.”

Before the sloppy finish, the Heat was playing at an elite offensive pace. The Heat scored 90 efficient points on 50 percent shooting from the field and 11 of 28 (39.3 percent) shooting from three-point range while committing just nine turnovers through the first three quarters.

But another bad fourth quarter almost cost the Heat the game. The Heat has the NBA’s worst fourth-quarter net rating this season, as it has been outscored by 25.3 points per 100 possessions in the final period through the first seven games.

Before the late-game drama, the two teams played a back-and-forth first half that included 12 lead changes and eight ties. It ended with the Heat entering halftime with a narrow 62-59 lead.

Bam Adebayo led the way with a dominant all-around performance, but all three of the Heat’s leading men played like leading men.

The Heat’s leading trio of Adebayo, Butler and Tyler Herro combined for 72 points in Monday’s win. The rest of the Heat’s roster combined to score just 36 points.

Adebayo totaled 22 points on 9-of-20 shooting from the field, 20 rebounds and 10 assists for the seventh triple-double performance of his NBA career, including one he had during last season’s playoffs. He also contributed his usual elite defense with two steals and two blocks.

Butler finished with 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, 3-of-4 shooting on threes and 7-of-7 shooting from the foul line, four rebounds and six assists.

Herro totaled 22 points on 8-of-20 shooting from the field, five rebounds and five assists. However, he shot an inefficient 2 of 10 on threes.

But Adebayo’s triple-double became the story of the night, as he finished with the first 20 rebound triple-double in Heat history. He’s the eighth different NBA player to record a triple-double that includes at least 20 points and 20 rebounds since 2010, joining a list that also features Russell Westbrook, Joakim Noah, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, DeMarcus Cousins and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Adebayo finished just one rebound shy of matching his career-high.

“We definitely wanted to end the homestand with a W,” Adebayo said. “I didn’t think it would be a triple-double. But just trusting my shots, being confident and my teammates were making plays and getting open and I was delivering the ball on time and on target.”

Adebayo completed the triple-double when he picked up his 10th assist on a hit-ahead pass to rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. for a transition layup with 7:53 left in the fourth quarter.

Adebayo was on a triple-double pace from the start, recording nine points, four rebounds and five assists in the opening quarter. He entered halftime with 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

“He really willed us,” Spoelstra said of Adebayo. “In those moments of truth, he was the voice in the huddles. He was holding everybody to a higher standard, demanding more particularly on the defensive end of the floor. That’s leadership. Not just the voice, but doing it with all the big muscle stuff. 20 on the glass is, I don’t know how many have done a 20-rebound triple-double. That’s just tremendous. That’s why he’s the heartbeat.”

Another notable aspect from Adebayo’s night: He hit his first three-pointer of the season. And it came within the flow of the offense, taking the cushion Lakers center Anthony Davis gave him and pulling up for the above-the-break three with 10 minutes left in the first quarter.

“I mean, he backed off. So I just shot the ball,” Adebayo said of his three.

The Heat used its new starting lineup for the second straight game, but the results weren’t as positive this time.

Kevin Love opened the season as the Heat’s starting power forward. But the Heat started Haywood Highsmith in that spot over Love on Monday for the second straight game.

After the starting lineup of Kyle Lowry, Herro, Butler, Highsmith and Adebayo posted a positive plus/minus of plus 8 in 14 minutes together in its debut in Friday’s home win over the Washington Wizards, this group was a minus 2 in 16 minutes together in Monday’s victory over the Lakers.

Highsmith finished his second start of the season with five points on 1-of-5 shooting on threes, one rebound and one steal in 22 minutes. He only played eight seconds in the fourth quarter, as Spoelstra instead played Josh Richardson for the entire final period.

Love did not play again on Monday despite being in uniform, receiving his second straight DNP-CD (did not play, coach’s decision) after beginning the season in a starting role.

The Heat instead went with its new normal bench rotation of Duncan Robinson, Richardson, Jaquez and Thomas Bryant against the Lakers.

The Heat was without forward Nikola Jovic (non-COVID illness), wing Caleb Martin (left knee tendinosis) and two-way contract guard RJ Hampton (non-COVID illness) against the Lakers.

The Lakers also played short-handed on Monday, missing Rui Hachimura (concussion protocol), Jaxson Hayes (left ankle sprain), Jalen Hood-Schifino (right patella contusion), Jarred Vanderbilt (left heel bursitis) and Gabe Vincent (left knee effusion).

LeBron’s bad luck in Miami continued.

With Monday’s result, James now holds a 2-7 record in games he has played in against the Heat in Miami since he left the organization in 2014.

But those struggles aren’t because of poor individual play from James, who entered Monday’s loss averaging 29.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 53.6 percent from the field in his first eight games in Miami since leaving the Heat.

James, 38, closed Monday’s game with another impressive stat line that included 30 points, four rebounds and three assists.

“For me, it’s always great to come back and play in a building where I have so many memories, and then go against one of my favorite coaches of all-time in Spo,” James said. “It’s always great. They’ve done it the right way here for years and years and years.

“Obviously, starting with Pat [Riley], and Micky [Arison], and obviously now Spo has taken the reins and done what he needs to do. Everybody that’s come through here understands what it’s all about and they continue to do it the right way. So, it’s pretty cool to be back.”

Butler and James defended each other for most of the night.

“Jimmy always, he just loves competition,” Spoelstra said. “He loves the highest level of competition. He always wants to guard the other team’s best players. That’s who he’s been all of his career and he hasn’t changed as he’s gotten older. You have to really admire that about him. He’s not ducking big matchups.”

James’ Lakers co-star, Davis, left Monday’s game early with a hip injury. Davis, who finished with nine points, six rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes, did not play in the fourth quarter.

A rough part of the schedule is here: The Heat will spend 17 of the next 19 nights on the road.

With Monday’s win over the Lakers marking the end of a three-game homestand, the Heat hits the road for nine of its next 10 games.

This road-heavy stretch begins with a four-game trip that includes matchups against the Grizzlies in Memphis on Wednesday, Hawks in Atlanta on Saturday, Spurs in San Antonio on Sunday and Hornets on Charlotte on Nov. 14.

The Heat then returns to Miami for one game against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 16 before hitting the road again for a five-game trip.

That five-game trip includes matchups against the Bulls in Chicago on Nov. 18 and 20, Cavaliers in Cleveland on Nov. 22, Knicks in New York on Nov. 24 and Nets in Brooklyn on Nov. 25.

The Heat’s 12 road games in its first 17 games of the season is the most road games for any NBA team during this span.

“We had an upsetting last road trip,” Adebayo said, referring to the Heat’s first trip of the season that ended winless at 0-3. “So we’re looking to make it different this road trip and collect some wins.”