NBA highlights on Jan. 1: Heat tried, but were outmatched by Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Miami Heat 121-104 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Monday, securing their 20th win of the season and the third straight victory.

The Clippers' ace Kawhi Leonard came back from a four-game absence due to left hip injury. He shot 10-for-19 from the field to score court-high 24 points in addition to six rebounds, five assists and four steals. He had 13 points in the second quarter alone, leading his side to wipe a 12-point deficit.

Four of Leonard's teammates got double-digit points as well and they all stood out to shoulder major offensive duties during different periods of time for the Clippers to maintain consistent firepower. For example, Paul George contributed 13 points in the third quarter, making sure that the team continued to expand their lead; Norman Powell led the bench squad to match their Heat counterpart in scoring (41-39); James Harden got a double-double of 15 points and 10 assists, helping as many teammates as possible get involved in offense.

Though Russell Westbrook had no more than eight points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, his incredible defensive energy was key to containing the Heat's offense from the second half. Moreover, he rose to 25th on the NBA all-time scoring list, surpassing Patrick Ewing. Considering that he is also ninth on the all-time assists list, Westbrook became the third player in league history to be within top 25 in points and top 10 in assists, after Oscar Robertson and LeBron James.

Unlike the Clippers, the Heat missed their best player Jimmy Butler who has been dealing with right foot irritation. They also missed Caleb Martin, Josh Richardson and Haywood Highsmith, all important members of the team's regular rotations. In order to keep their system running, everyone on the court had to play bigger roles, especially Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.

Herro knocked down four triples, but all in the first half. Duncan Robinson scored 11 of his 15 points in the first quarter. Kevin Love had 11 of his 17 points in the first half. Kyle Lowry got zero points and two turnovers in the third and the fourth periods. The Heat's offense worked better in the first two quarters because of their skillful ball movement, both to shooters outside and to big men inside.

Nonetheless, as the Clippers added more aggression to their defense by closing out more often and denying the ball in the paint with more toughness, they dismembered the opponents' offense and forced Adebayo to do more isolation players and take more tough shots. He went 6-for-17 from the field to drop 21 points, 15 rebounds and four assists. He earned 13 free throws but also missed nine of his 12 jumpers.

Other games on Monday (away teams come first):

Minnesota Timberwolves 106-112 New York Knicks

OG Anunoby made his debut as a Knick at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He drained three triples out of six attempts to get 17 points and six rebounds and spared no efforts in guarding the Timberwolves' ace Anthony Edwards at the cost of six personal fouls. The team acquired him for his ability to space the floor and trustworthy defense. Anunoby met both expectations in his first game.

The biggest contributors to the Knicks' victory on Monday were Julius Randle, who dropped game-high 39 points and Jalen Brunson, who had a double-double of 16 points and career-high 14 assists. The team dominated the offensive rebounds, leading 16-4, which enabled them to take 13 more shots than the opponents.

Indiana Pacers 122-113 Milwaukee Bucks

The Pacers beat a 15-point deficit to upset the Bucks at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, thanks to the excellent performances of Tyrese Haliburton and his teammates of the backup unit. Haliburton got 26 points, 11 assists and was one rebound away from getting a triple-double. The team's backup squad outscored their Bucks counterpart 70-16. Bennedict Mathurin had 25 points and 13 rebounds. T.J. McConnell delivered nine assists without even a single turnover.

The Bucks' five starters combined to score 97 of the team's 113 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped a triple-double of 30 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists. The worst-performing one was Damian Lillard who missed eight of his nine triples to get only 13 points.

Cleveland Cavaliers 121-124 Toronto Raptors

Detroit Pistons 113-136 Houston Rockets

Charlotte Hornets 93-111 Denver Nuggets

Portland Trail Blazers 88-109 Phoenix Suns

Dallas Mavericks 90-127 Utah Jazz