Waiters, Heat stun Warriors
MIAMI -- Dion Waiters hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key in the final second, giving the lowly but suddenly hot Miami Heat a 105-102 upset of the NBA's best team, Golden State Warriors, on Monday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Waiters matched his career high with 33 points for the second consecutive game.
Golden State's Kevin Durant tied the score with 11.7 seconds left on a baseline dunk, setting the stage for Waiters' heroics with six-10ths of a second left.
The Warriors (38-7) had their seven-game win streak snapped. It was only Golden State's fifth loss in regulation this season.
The Heat (15-30) have a season-best four-game win streak, as they completed a 4-0 homestand.
Goran Dragic added 19 points for Miami. Heat center Hassan Whiteside had a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds.
For Golden State, Durant scored 27 points, Klay Thompson had 22 and Stephen Curry added 21.
Golden State took its first lead on the final play of the first quarter, an acrobatic shot high off the glass by Curry, who took contact just to left of the lane but still converted. That capped a 13-2 Warriors run that gave them a 30-28 lead.
The Warriors had a modest 48-46 lead at halftime as they made just 45.8 percent of their shots in the first 24 minutes, including 3 of 15 3-point attempts. The Heat made Golden State work, giving the Warriors only three free throws, of which two were missed, and seven fastbreak points.
Curry, who scored 11 points in the first quarter and went scoreless in the second, had eight points in the third. Miami closed the third on a 12-2 run and took a 77-73 lead into the fourth.
Miami led by five points with 55 seconds left before the Warriors rallied to tie on Durant's dunk.
NOTES: The Warriors rested F Andre Iguodala after resting G Shaun Livingston in the previous game. ... On a team with three high-scoring superstars, F Draymond Green leads the Warriors in rebounds (8.7), assists (7.7) and blocks (2.0). .... Warriors F David West (fractured left thumb) will be re-evaluated in two weeks. ... Warriors G Stephen Curry was relatively well-rested after not being used in the fourth quarter on Sunday against the Orlando Magic. ... Heat G Tyler Johnson (strained left shoulder) missed his second straight game. He is averaging a career-best 14.2 points. ... Heat G Dion Waiters said he has learned from Heat G Goran Dragic on how to finish at the rim. "I got some tips from him this past weekend, just being physical when you get there, lowering your shoulder," Waiters said. ... Miami starts a two-game trip Wednesday at the Brooklyn Nets. ... Golden State plays at the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.