Anthony Davis said the Los Angeles Lakers got a "little revenge" with their 96-95 win over the Boston Celtics in the NBA on Saturday.
Davis had a double-double of 27 points and 14 rebounds as the Lakers responded after back-to-back losses.
The Lakers seemingly had not forgotten their most recent visit to TD Garden, where they were thrashed by the Celtics 139-107 in January last year.
Davis said while the Lakers (15-6) wanted to return to winning ways, some revenge was also on their minds.
"Just trying to get back in the win column. We're a team that takes pride in not losing two in a row and we lost two in a row and we for damn sure wasn't losing three in a row," he told ESPN.
"We've got a little revenge with this team. They came in last year and beat us by 30 last time we were in this building so we're still replaying all the moments in our head.
"But we just want to be a team that don't get comfortable with losing and I think everybody had a great effort and we were able to get the win."
LeBron James finished with 21 points for the Lakers, who almost slumped to a third straight defeat.
The Celtics forced a turnover with seconds remaining, but Kemba Walker missed a jumper and Daniel Theis a lay-up on the buzzer.
Davis led the way for the Lakers despite going four-of-seven from the free-throw line.
"Come out and be aggressive. My team looked for me to be aggressive on both ends of the floor, on the glass, and that's what I tried to do," he said.
"Just going back to the old AD, playing with a lot of energy, letting the team feed off of me and just playing great basketball, making shots, still struggling from the line but I'm going to keep going, get fouled, going to the line.
"I just wanted to come out and be aggressive, I was able to do that and help us get the win."
New Zealand Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will switch codes at the end of the 2021 NRL season with the aim of playing for the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup.
Talismanic full-back Tuivasa-Sheck, 27, has been granted an early release from his Warriors contract to try and force his way into the New Zealand squad for the 2023 showpiece in France.
The 2018 Dally M Player of the Year and two-time Dally M Fullback of the Year expressed gratitude to the Warriors for allowing him to move to the 15-man format.
"This will be my last year with the club and yes, I will be moving to NZ rugby next year," Tuivasa-Sheck said during a press conference on Saturday.
"The club has been supportive in the request and giving me the option to explore.
"Rugby [union] has been the game I've grown up playing. It's always been there in the background. It's always been there, it's no secret.
"To do it now in a time like this and have the club's support, that's why I chose it now. But rugby is down the line and all that stuff will happen later in the year.
"2021 is my focus, I'm excited about this year and so should the Warriors and NRL fans be.
"There's still a lot of goals I'm chasing [in league] and that's what I'm trying to do this year with the club. We've got a great group here and coaching staff to do something special this year."
The Los Angeles Lakers will aim to rebound from back-to-back defeats when they face the Boston Celtics in the latest chapter of a storied NBA rivalry.
A narrow 107-106 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers was followed by a surprise 107-92 setback against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, so the Lakers – who lost consecutive games for the first time this season – will need to improve to walk away from TD Garden with a W in the sixth of seven straight road games.
No teams have faced off in the Finals more than the 12 contested by the Lakers and the Celtics, who are tied for the most NBA championships of all time with 17 apiece.
The Celtics are now 10-7 in a season that has been affected by COVID-19 issues after going down 110-106 to the San Antonio Spurs in their previous outing.
KEY PERFORMERS
Jaylen Brown
Much of the scoring burden for the Celtics this season is landing on Brown, whose 27.1 points per game ranks him inside the top 10 in the league.
That average bumps up to 29.7 for games played at the Garden this season and he will certainly aim to make the most of home-court advantage against LeBron James and a star-studded Lakers cast.
No one on the Celtics roster has a better three-point percentage (44.1) than Brown, plus you can add in averages of 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists during an impressive campaign so far for the 24-year-old.
LeBron James
Most players by the age of 36 are thinking about winding down in the twilight of their careers, yet James has proven throughout his distinguished playing days he is no ordinary individual.
He leads the Lakers for both points (25.5) and assists (7.5), while he is shooting at 41.7 per cent from beyond the arc – well above his career average of 34.6 per cent.
With Anthony Davis potentially missing again due to a right quad injury, the Lakers will need their talisman firing on all cylinders.
KEY BATTLE: CAN TATUM GO TOE-TO-TOE WITH LEBRON?
The last time these teams went head-to-head was back in February 2020, the Lakers coming out narrow 114-112 victors on that occasion.
Following the game, James took to Instagram to give a huge endorsement to Jayson Tatum, writing: "That boi to the left of me is an ABSOLUTE PROBLEM!! Keep going #YoungKing."
Tatum had put up 41 points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks in a mammoth outing, though James' enduring quality was on display with a brilliant fadeaway in the closing minutes putting the Lakers into a lead they would not relinquish (James had 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds).
An offensive foul on what would have been a match-winning three from Tatum ended a fierce battle and the prospect of these two going head-to-head again is an exciting one.
HEAD TO HEAD
A rivalry that dates all the way back to 1948, the Celtics lead the regular season head-to-head between these heavyweights by 161-131.
When you throw in playoff clashes, the Celtics lead the way at 204-162, while they also edge the past 10 encounters between the teams at 6-4.
Lonzo Ball felt blocking out trade talk had proven key as he responded to recent speculation in style against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The New Orleans Pelicans earned an impressive 131-126 win against the Bucks on Friday.
Ball came to the fore with a season-high 27 points which included seven three-pointers – tied for his career high – and eight assists.
Eric Bledsoe (25 points) also scored seven three-pointers while center Steven Adams had 20 rebounds.
Per Stats Perform data, the Pelicans became the first NBA team ever to have two players with at least seven three-pointers and another with 20 or more rebounds.
New Orleans matched a franchise record with 21 threes in the game, with Ball the leading light as the Pelicans followed up their win over the Washington Wizards with another fine outing.
Ball, who has had a tough start to the 2020-21 season and was regularly a subject of trade talk when with the Los Angeles Lakers, insisted he had blocked out distractions.
Asked if he had any extra motivation amid the speculation, he replied: "I just stay the course.
"I've been playing basketball for a long time. I put a lot of work in and just try to play my game. That's how I play.
"I just try to stay away from all the noise and just go out there and try to help my team win games."
Zion Williamson, who just missed out on a triple-double with 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, was impressed by Ball as the Pelicans moved to 7-10 ahead of Saturday's game with the Houston Rockets.
"We love to see it," said former number one overall pick Williamson.
"When he shoots the ball like that with confidence, even if he misses it, just him shooting it with the confidence it's going in, that's what we want Zo to do. He hit seven and they were all big for us."
The Bucks were beaten despite 38 points from two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and 22 from Jrue Holiday against his former team.
They still sit third in the Eastern Conference but are 4-5 on the road.
J.T. Realmuto is getting paid.
Arguably the best all-round catcher in MLB, Realmuto has signed a lucrative five-year contract to remain with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Realmuto's new deal is reportedly worth $115.5million, which sets a record average annual value for a catcher at $23.1m per season – eclipsing Joe Mauer's $23m per season for the Minnesota Twins (2011-18).
The 29-year-old – just the third catcher in league history to sign a contract in excess of $100m – is also the first catcher to sign a deal worth more than $100m in free agency after being acquired from the Miami Marlins in a four-player trade two years ago.
The Phillies, who also boast former National League (NL) MVP Bryce Harper, have locked up a two-time All-Star, Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner as their future becomes clearer.
We take a look at the numbers behind Realmuto using Stats Perform data as the playoff-chasing Phillies eye an upturn in fortunes in 2021.
One of MLB's finest
While big-hitting Harper dominates the headlines, Realmuto is arguably Philadelphia's most important player.
Over the last two seasons, the Phillies have won 52.8 per cent (94-84) of their games with Realmuto in the line-up, while they are just 34.1 per cent (15-29) in his absence.
The Phillies average 5.22 runs per game when Realmuto takes to the field compared to 3.43 if he has been rested or sidelined.
Since joining the Phillies in 2019, Realmuto ranks first in a number of categories among catchers – RBI (115), slugging percentage (.492), hits (194), runs (125), doubles (42) and stolen bases (13), while he is equal second for home runs (36).
Realmuto found a home in Philadelphia's number four spot last season. His 11 home runs out of the fourth position ranked second only to the Cincinnati Reds' Eugenio Suarez (13) among clean-up hitters, while his 31 RBIs were third.
Behind the plate, Realmuto has thrown out 41 runners trying to steal over the past two seasons – 14 more than any other catcher.
As a percentage, he has thrown out 39.0 percent of runners attempting to steal since joining the Phillies, second best among those with at least 100 games caught since 2019 (Roberto Perez, 45.0 percent).
Realmuto is one of three Phillies catchers to win a Gold Glove (2019), along with Bob Boone (1978 and 1979) and Mike Lieberthal (1999).
He has 95 home runs and 44 stolen bases in his 732 career games. The only other catcher in MLB history to have at least 90 homers and 40 steals within his first 750 career games was Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk.
Realmuto has proven his durability and defensive skills since his first full season in 2015. He ranks second in MLB with 5615.1 innings caught (behind Yadier Molina) and also ranks second in runners thrown out stealing with 113 (behind Jonathan Lucroy).
Playoffs overdue for Realmuto and Phillies
For all of Realmuto's impressive numbers, there is one glaring absence.
Realmuto has never played in the postseason; his 732 career games are the most by any active catcher who has never featured in the playoffs.
It comes as two-time World Series winners the Phillies try to emerge from the postseason wilderness.
The Phillies reigned supreme in 1980 and 2008, but Philadelphia have not made the playoffs or finished a season with a winning record since going 102-60 in 2011 – Joe Girardi's men ended the coronavirus-shortened 2020 campaign 28-32.
Winners of seven NL pennants, Philadelphia have gone nine consecutive seasons without a playoff berth – only second to the Seattle Mariners (19) for the longest active drought in MLB.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, have the most successive campaigns finishing .500 or worse, a run of nine putting them ahead of the Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Angels (both five).
Paul George was "super relieved" that both he and Kawhi Leonard were healthy after entering the NBA's contact tracing protocols – and the duo showed the Los Angeles Clippers exactly what they had been missing on Friday.
Having sat out two games due to guidelines put in place amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the superstars were cleared to return to action for the Clippers at the Orlando Magic.
George had 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the convincing 116-90 victory on the road, while Leonard contributed 24 points.
They combined for 35 points in the first half as the Clippers improved to 15-5 for the season, meaning they sit behind only the in-form Utah Jazz – who have won 10 in a row – in the Western Conference standings.
"I was super relieved that we were both healthy, first and foremost," George told the media. "We had been playing so well that it was unfortunate that we had to take the hiatus, but safety is first."
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue was able to rest both George and Leonard in the fourth quarter with the Clippers in complete control.
Speaking after the win, Lue said having the pair back was "huge", considering they make life so much easier for the rest of the roster.
"I think on a night when guys were a little tired, just having their presence was big for us," Lue said.
"It was huge. Just making plays for everybody else, making the game easy.
"When teams double-team Kawhi or PG on the post-ups or pick-and-roll, it just makes it easier because our guys are getting open shots, so we needed those guys."
The Clippers went 1-1 without George and Leonard at the start of a six-game road trip; they are back in action on Sunday, taking on the New York Knicks.
The Australian Open is set to welcome up to 30,000 spectators each day when the tournament begins on February 8 in Melbourne.
Local officials have given the go-ahead for fans to head to Melbourne Park, predicting a near-normal atmosphere when action begins at the year's first grand slam.
Last year's US Open was contested behind closed doors in New York, while only 1,000 paying fans were allowed at Roland Garros on each day of the 2020 French Open.
However, the COVID-19 crisis has been tightly managed in Australia, to the point where it was reported on Saturday that there had been no new local cases in the state of Victoria for 24 days.
The crowds will be split between day and evening sessions, and the number of fans allowed will drop to 25,000 for the final six days of the tournament, when fewer courts will be in operation.
Saturday's announcement means the event will be capped at around 50 per cent of capacity.
Tournament director and Tennis Australia chief executive officer Craig Tiley said it had taken "a massive team effort" to accommodate the arrival of around 1,000 players and officials into the country, with all required to spend two weeks in quarantine.
Victoria sports minister Martin Pakula said on Sky News Australia: "On Rod Laver Arena, as we get towards the end of the tournament, we'll have an incredible atmosphere – not that different to the atmosphere we've seen in all the Opens in the years past.
"That's really a testament to the work Victorians have done to get our numbers to zero but also the extraordinary work that Craig and the team at Tennis Australia has done."
James Harden said the Brooklyn Nets made the most of "a beautiful game plan" as they swept to a 147-125 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Nine Nets players finished with double-digit points, led by Harden and Kyrie Irving with 25 each, as the team earned a fourth successive victory.
Harden landed a triple-double, having also had 11 assists and 10 rebounds, and Stats Perform data showed it was only the second time in Nets history that they have had nine players score 10 points or more in a game.
The first occasion was in the then New York Nets' 1984 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and this time they matched a franchise points record for a regulation game.
That the Nets achieved their success without the injured Kevin Durant showed the deep strength and potential they possess.
"The ball was moving," said Harden. "We were active on both ends of the floor.
"Coaches drew up a beautiful game plan, and we executed on both ends of the ball. We like to see carryover, and these last few games we’ve been carrying over, we've been playing well, especially on the defensive end, and it's showing, so we've just got to keep it up."
The Nets improved to 13-8 for the season, with the combination of Irving and new arrival Harden, acquired this month from the Houston Rockets, beginning to purr.
"I never say how long the process was going to take. But Ky is special," Harden said. "He got it going in the third quarter. And we just wanted him to keep going until he missed, and even when he missed keep going again."
Irving got 12 points in that particular quarter and the Nets entered the fourth armed with a 21-point lead.
"We've just got to find that balance of when to be aggressive and when to make plays," Harden said. "And I think even with our aggressiveness, we're still playmakers.
"I think over the course of the game, we did a really good job of getting our guys involved in going aggressiveness, corner ball as well. So nothing really changes even when KD [Durant] is in the lineup as well."
Irving, meanwhile, knows the Nets could, and perhaps should, achieve great things now that he, Durant and Harden are in their ranks, but that is not to say success is a given.
"Just taking it day by day," said Irving.
"I'm always going to say that I won't take anything for granted. It doesn't happen often in history where you have this group together at this point.
"Some of the guys were starters last year on their respective teams, other guys are MVP candidates and to have all of that collective talent and not get the most out of it, we'd be doing ourselves a disservice so we just want to continue to just push each other and hold each other accountable."
The Brooklyn Nets shared the load in a high-scoring 147-125 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA.
Playing without star Kevin Durant (Achilles), the Nets extended their winning streak to four games on Friday after nine players had double-digit points.
According to Stats Perform, it was just the second time in team history the Nets had nine such players (against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1984) as James Harden led the way with a triple-double of 25 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
Harden became the second Net in the last 25 years with three triple-doubles in a season, while Irving put up 25 points, seven assists and five rebounds on the road.
It was also the second time this season the Nets have scored 145-plus points in a non-overtime game. No other NBA team have achieved it even once this season, and Brooklyn had just one such game in team history entering this season – 147 in 1982.
Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles surpassed John Stockton for the most three-pointers made (846) in franchise history in a 120-101 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Ingles was two-of-four from three-point range for 10 points as the Jazz made it 11 consecutive victories to own the NBA's best record at 15-4.
Utah have made 319 three-pointers through 19 games this season – the most ever by any team after 19 fixtures.
Bojan Bogdanovic led the Jazz with a game-high 22 points, while Rudy Gobert added 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Young puts on a show as Embiid stars
Trae Young dazzled with 41 points as the Atlanta Hawks took down the struggling Washington Wizards 116-100.
The Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers accounted for the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves 118-94 behind Joel Embiid's 37 points and 11 rebounds from just 27 minutes of action.
Two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 38 points and 11 rebounds but the Milwaukee Bucks were beaten 131-126 by the New Orleans Pelicans. Lonzo Ball recorded a season-high 27 points.
Nikola Jokic has registered 19 consecutive double-doubles to start the season. Since 1976, Jokic and Antetokounmpo (19 in a row in 2019-20) are tied with the second-most double-doubles to open a campaign, trailing only Bill Walton (34 straight). Jokic had 35 points and 10 rebounds in the Denver Nuggets' 119-109 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Kawhi Leonard (24) and Paul George (26) combined for 50 points in their return for the Los Angeles Clippers, who defeated the Orlando Magic 116-90.
Nance struggles as Cavs crumble
It was not a good day for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were swept aside 102-81 by the New York Knicks. Larry Nance Jr. finished with just two points in 29 minutes after going one-of-nine from the field, while missing all five of his three-point attempts. Taurean Prince – part of the deal that helped the Nets acquire former MVP Harden from the Houston Rockets – was one-of-seven from the field for three points.
DeRozan with the Euro step
DeMar DeRozan posted 30 points and 10 assists on 11-of-14 shooting from the field. The Spurs star also Euro-stepped to the rim for a fine basket against the Nuggets.
Friday's results
Charlotte Hornets 108-105 Indiana Pacers
Atlanta Hawks 116-100 Washington Wizards
New York Knicks 102-81 Cleveland Cavaliers
Sacramento Kings 126-124 Toronto Raptors
New Orleans Pelicans 131-126 Milwaukee Bucks
Los Angeles Clippers 116-90 Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers 118-94 Minnesota Timberwolves
Brooklyn Nets 147-125 Oklahoma City Thunder
San Antonio Spurs 119-109 Denver Nuggets
Utah Jazz 120-101 Dallas Mavericks
Lakers at Celtics
Following back-to-back defeats on the road, defending champions the Los Angeles Lakers (14-6) will look to return to winning ways when they visit the Boston Celtics (10-7) on Saturday.
The Philadelphia Phillies re-signed star catcher J.T. Realmuto, the MLB franchise announced on Friday.
Realmuto will remain in Philadelphia on a five-year deal, reportedly worth $115.5million that sets a record average annual value for a catcher at $23.1m per season – eclipsing Joe Mauer's $23m per season for the Minnesota Twins (2011-18).
The two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger was out of contract after being acquired by the Phillies from the Miami Marlins in 2019.
Realmuto, 29, signed a one-year contract in his final season of salary arbitration eligibility in 2020 before finally reaching an agreement with the Phillies over a lucrative extension.
During the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season, Realmuto had 46 hits, 33 runs, 11 homers, 32 RBIs and four stolen bases in 47 games for the Phillies.
Since making his MLB debut in 2014, 2019 Gold Glove winner Realmuto has amassed 749 hits, 380 runs, 95 homers, 385 RBIs and 44 stolen bases.
Bryce Harper's Phillies have not made the playoffs since 2011 after going 28-32 in the National League (NL) East last year.
Los Angeles Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have been cleared to return against the Orlando Magic on Friday.
Leonard and George missed the opening two games of a six-game road swing after reportedly entering the NBA's health and safety protocols.
The Clippers went 1-1 in the pair's absence against the Atlanta Hawks (lost 108-99) and Miami Heat (won 109-105).
But Leonard and George are set to take to the court when the Clippers (14-5) visit the Magic (8-11).
Leonard has been averaging 25.9 points, 5.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game in 2020-21, while Clippers team-mate George is averaging 23.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
The Clippers have gone 8-1 in their last nine games and have outscored opponents by an average of 12.8 points per game, second in the NBA in that span (Utah Jazz, plus-15.6), per Stats Perform. This stretch has come after the Clippers began the season 6-4, outscoring opponents by 0.8 points per game in that period.
Meanwhile, the Clippers have won 13 successive games against the Magic – dating back to January 2014. It is tied for the longest active winning streak by any current NBA franchise against any opponent (the Philadelphia 76ers versus New York Knicks and the 76ers against Charlotte Hornets – both 13).
Kevin Durant will sit out the Brooklyn Nets' showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder to rehabilitate his Achilles.
Durant, who has returned this season after sitting out the entire 2019-20 NBA campaign due to an Achilles injury, posted a game-high 32 points in Brooklyn's double-overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
Now the two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP has been kept out of Friday's clash against the Thunder in Oklahoma.
Durant – who injured his Achilles during his time with the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals – has played in 15 of the Nets' 20 games this season.
The 32-year-old is averaging 30.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in 2020-21.
Durant recorded his 15th consecutive 20-plus point game to start the season against the Hawks midweek – only Wilt Chamberlain (56 games), Adrian Dantley (20 games) and Dominique Wilkins (19 games) have better streaks in NBA history.
Steve Nash's star-studded Nets (12-8) have won three games in a row to sit fourth in the Eastern Conference, behind the Philadelphia 76ers (13-6).
Craig Simpson defeated defending champion Christian Sasso via long run to win the David East Memorial Sporting Clays on Sunday. Meanwhile, Aliana McMaster dethroned her mother, Wendy, to take the women’s title.
Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal agreed it was great to be playing in front of busy grandstands again as tennis stars emerged from lockdown in Australia.
The women's and men's tennis tours have been contested largely behind closed doors over the past year, and a number of tournaments, most notably Wimbledon, have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Australia public has given a cautious welcome to the arrival of the world's leading players, who have been quarantining in hotel rooms for much of the past fortnight, only allowed to briefly leave in order to train.
Ahead of the Australian Open, which begins on February 8 in Melbourne, Williams and Nadal are among a star-studded set of players who travelled to Adelaide to feature in the 'A Day at the Drive' exhibition event.
They both scored victories on Friday, with Williams defeating US Open champion Naomi Osaka 6-2 2-6 10-7 and Nadal snatching a 7-5 6-4 win over Dominic Thiem.
The delight in both at seeing crowds at a tournament was plain, with Williams saying in an on-court interview: "Thanks everyone for having us. We haven't played in front of a crowd in over a year. It's been a really long time."
In fact, it has not quite been a full year since the tours locked down initially, as it was early March when most tournaments began to be called off, with crowds frozen out.
Williams said the reception made the difficult past fortnight, being hidden away from the world, worth the strain for the players.
"This is really cool and then for having us and trusting us with your laws was great," said the 23-time grand slam winner. "We were so excited to be here and it's worth it."
Nadal said he was "super happy" to still be playing at the highest level and back in front of Australian crowds.
The pandemic has been carefully managed to the point where very few have the virus and it is considered safe to allow crowds into sporting events in the country.
Nadal said: "Hopefully this situation will go away quick and we will be able to enjoy fans on court [around the world].
"We're super excited to have fans at the Australian Open and today."
That optimism and excitement was shared by men's world number one Novak Djokovic, who played just one set against Jannik Sinner due to a problem with blisters on his right hand.
Eight-time Australian Open champion Djokovic told fans: "Thank you so much for coming out and making our day and making our year.
"We didn't play in front of this much crowd for 12 months. This is definitely something very special.
"It wasn't easy, obviously, with 14 days being constrained in the room and a few hours to train, but at the end of the day it was worth it because you guys made it very special today for us."
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra insisted his team still have the right spirit and a huge "sense of urgency" after suffering a fifth straight loss, going down 109-105 to the Los Angeles Clippers.
In an NBA first for the shot-clock era, the Clippers won a game despite being outscored by 14+ points in the first and fourth quarters, according to Stats Perform data.
The Heat fell to 6-12 for the season having been beaten by a Clippers team playing without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Patrick Beverley.
Spoelstra was also without key players; Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala were among seven who were unavailable.
The Clippers trailed by 18 early, but then turned the tables and built a lead as high as 19 by the time the third quarter ended.
However, the Heat won the fourth quarter by 15 points and were within three before ultimately losing out in a frantic finale.
The struggles this season are a stark contrast to last, when they impressively made the NBA Finals in the Orlando bubble.
"When it went good, it was because their hearts are in the right place for sure," said Spoelstra.
"We are just grinding and trying to figure out how to get over the hump and try and give ourselves our best chance of winning.
"It is just a matter of consistency to be able to do that throughout the course of the game.
"Our group has a great spirit and a big-time sense of urgency. It is not a matter of that, it is a matter of finding a way to be consistent throughout.
"There are a lot of moving parts. That makes it unique. You can’t make an excuse for it. You have to continue to grind, to learn and compete for each other. We just need to be more consistent with it."
Tyler Herro had 19 points as he returned after missing seven games with neck spasms, with Spoelstra hoping more players will follow soon.
He added: "We will be getting guys back soon enough. You get Tyler back and there is just a boost to it and that is encouraging.
"Everyone in the locker room really wants to play better and in a perfect world we want to be in a better place than we are right now and we are not.
"We just have to continue to grind."
Nicolas Batum scored 18 points for the Clippers, one of their six players to reach double figures. Tyronn Lue's team improved to 14-5 on the season and have won eight of their last nine games.
LeBron James revealed the Los Angeles Lakers are having to learn on the fly during the regular season after the defending NBA champions slipped to a second successive defeat.
Without Anthony Davis, who did not play due to injury, and off the back of a narrow loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers made a strong start but faded badly at the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.
James made his first seven shots but had just two points in the second half, the Pistons running out comfortable winners by a 107-92 scoreline for just their fifth victory of the campaign.
For the four-time NBA MVP, however, it is all about the bigger picture, rather than one-off results. With limited practice time available to teams due to the altered schedule amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and a number of new faces having joined during the offseason, the Lakers are having to experiment during games.
"We are all learning on the fly due to the lack of practice time," James said.
"You know with this season it's very difficult to get those practice minutes on the floor and know what does and doesn't work. It's very strange with that.
"We are definitely all adjusting to playing with different line-ups and logging minutes with line-ups that in one game you may not have played with, then it could be [the case] for a few games in a row.
"A lot of our games are also big practices for us too, we have to learn on the fly and coach is still learning different line-ups, which combinations work.
"Myself, I'm out here with certain line-ups I do play with, certain ones I don't. It's all a learning experience and trying to figure things out."
James, who finished with 22 points and 10 assists, insisted his second-half output was not due to tiredness. Far from it, in fact.
"I don't feel tired. I get my sleep, I get my rest. I have a lot of energy, I don't get tired," said the 36-year-old, who revealed during his post-game press conference that he likes to watch shows and drink a glass of wine to relax.
"My mindset never gets to the point where it's a long road trip and I'm exhausted and tired, I don't even think about that. When we have our games, I'm ready to go.
"When we're not playing, I have an opportunity to rest, get my body back right and my mind refreshed. I don't get tired."
Kyle Kuzma also had 22 points for the Lakers, while Blake Griffin led the way for Detroit with 23.
The Los Angeles Lakers slumped to back-to-back losses in the NBA, while the Clippers got past the Miami Heat on Thursday.
The Lakers dropped two straight games for the first time this season, beaten 107-92 by the Detroit Pistons.
LeBron James posted a double-double of 22 points and 10 assists, to go with seven rebounds, but the Lakers were beaten.
A day after losing to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers were without Anthony Davis (quad).
Blake Griffin (23 points) and Mason Plumlee (17 points and 10 rebounds) led the Pistons (5-14) to their surprise win.
The Lakers (14-6) are third in the Western Conference, behind the Utah Jazz (14-4) and Clippers (14-5).
Still without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George due to the NBA's health and safety protocols, the Clippers recorded a 109-105 win over the Heat.
They had six players in double-figures for points, with Serge Ibaka (10 points and 13 rebounds) finishing with a double-double.
The Clippers became the first team in the shot-clock era to win a game despite being outscored by 14-plus points in the first and fourth quarters, as per Stats Perform.
Awesome Oladipo leads Rockets, Curry's Warriors crushed
Victor Oladipo finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the Houston Rockets' 104-101 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Damian Lillard (30 points, nine assists and four rebounds) led the way for Portland.
Stephen Curry posted 27 points, but the Golden State Warriors were well beaten by the Phoenix Suns 114-93.
Warriors' woes
Kelly Oubre Jr. (one-of-11) and Draymond Green (one-of-seven) struggled from the field for the Warriors, combining for just six points.
Wood with the dunk
Christian Wood continued his good form with 22 points, including a big dunk, and 12 rebounds for the Rockets.
Thursday's results
Houston Rockets 104-101 Portland Trail Blazers
Detroit Pistons 107-92 Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Clippers 109-105 Miami Heat
Phoenix Suns 114-93 Golden State Warriors
Nets at Thunder
The Brooklyn Nets (12-8) are riding a three-game winning streak ahead of facing the Oklahoma City Thunder (8-9) on Friday. Nets stars Kevin Durant and James Harden are set to come up against their former team.
Novak Djokovic apologised but confirmed he had been dealing with a blister after only playing a set of his exhibition match in Adelaide.
The world number one had reportedly withdrawn and was replaced by Filip Krajinovic for a clash against Jannik Sinner.
But Djokovic played the second set, winning it 6-3 after Krajinovic had taken the opener 6-3 on Friday.
The 17-time grand slam champion, who had a blister on his right hand, apologised after the match.
"I'm sorry that I didn't step in on the court from the beginning," Djokovic told Channel 9.
"I had to do some treatment with my physio and wasn't feeling my best the last couple of days, I didn't know how I'm going to react.
"I wanted to play and I wanted to get out here and hopefully it was enough for you guys to see all three of us performing in front of you on the court today, I hope you enjoyed."
Djokovic, who came out of hotel quarantine on Friday, said he could not pass up the opportunity to play in front of fans.
"It's not easy but it's part of what we do. We are professional athletes we learn over the years to play with the pain and it's just a question and case whether that pain is bearable or not," he said.
"Obviously coming off from the hard training block and having an ATP Cup and Australian Open around the corner you don't want to risk it too much.
"But the emotion was so strong in me to come out on the court today seeing almost full stands, I had to play, that's it, I had to play."
Djokovic is due to play the ATP Cup starting on Tuesday, before the Australian Open begins on February 8.
The 2021 Carifta Swimming Championships that had been set to get underway from March 26 to April 7 has been postponed due to the recent spikes in the number of Covid-19 cases in Barbados.
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