Heat 78, Lakers 75
Mario Chalmers had 19 points and eight assists to lead visiting Miami past Los Angeles.
Hassan Whiteside scored 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting and also contributed nine points and five blocked shots for the Heat. Chris Andersen had 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots as Chris Bosh struggled with eight points and Dwyane Wade had four before leaving with a hamstring injury.
Kobe Bryant returned to the lineup for the Lakers and scored 12 points on 3-of-19 shooting, including a missed 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds remaining. Ed Davis and Jordan Hill also scored 12 points for Los Angeles.
Miami scored the first 18 points and Los Angeles missed its first 10 shots, finally scoring on Bryant’s basket with 4:22 remaining in the quarter. The big bulge helped the Heat lead 44-34 at the break and they maintained the advantage throughout the third quarter to take a 61-53 lead into the final stanza.
The Lakers were within 74-72 after Davis’ basket with 1:29 remaining before Chalmers hit back-to-back baskets to give Miami a six-point edge. Bryant hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit in half with 31.3 seconds to play and then missed the tying attempt to finish off his poor-shooting night.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Heat blocked 11 shots and possessed a 58-40 edge in points in the paint. … Bryant sat out three of the previous four games. … Whiteside has scored in double figures in five straight games.