Miami Heat

Dion Waiters clinches Heat win over Warriors

Published Jan. 24, 2017 12:20 a.m. ET

MIAMI (AP) -- Dion Waiters went from air ball to game-winner.

Waiters made a 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left to cap his 33-point effort as the Miami Heat beat Golden State 105-102 on Monday night to end the Warriors' seven-game winning streak.

It was the second straight game in which Waiters tied his career high, and this one came after a frantic final few minutes in which the Heat blew a 10-point lead -- with a Waiters air ball of a 15-footer as part of that collapse. But he more than atoned with his last shot of the night, sending Miami to its biggest surprise of the season.

"He's not scared. He's not afraid," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He's fearless. He wants those moments as much as anybody."

Kevin Durant tied the game on a dunk with 11.7 seconds left. With no timeouts, Waiters walked the ball up the court, made a couple moves on Klay Thompson, and then connected from straightaway.

"I knew it was good," Waiters said. "He let me get to my shot."

Goran Dragic scored 19 points for Miami (15-30), while Luke Babbitt added 11 and Hassan Whiteside had 10 points and 15 rebounds.

Durant scored 27, Thompson had 22 and Stephen Curry added 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Warriors (38-7). Curry missed a corner jumper as time expired, though referee Brian Forte signaled his attempt was a two-point try anyway.

"We get everybody's best shot," said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who even with the loss clinched the right to coach the Western Conference in next month's All-Star Game. "Miami played great."

Waiters shot 13 for 20 from the floor, 6 for 8 from 3-point range.

"Those are tough shots that Dion made," Curry said. "He obviously played well, but we didn't do anything to help ourselves."

Miami was up 98-88 before the Warriors started rallying. Curry made a pair of free throws, Thompson hit a 3-pointer and Durant added another 3 as Golden State ran off eight straight points. Waiters answered with a 3 for the Heat, but Durant and Shaun Livingston both scored at the rim in the final minute as the Warriors closed to 101-100 with 21.4 seconds left.

Dragic made one of two free throws, and the Warriors set up a play where Durant went baseline for the tying score. But Waiters had the last make of the night.

"It's good to see guys in the locker room feel good about beating a great basketball team," Spoelstra said.