Bam Adebayo, Norman Powell shine as Miami Heat embarrass Clippers

Coming off a loss to the first seeded Detroit Pistons, the Miami Heat were looking to get back on track against the LA Clippers on Monday night.

Keshad Johnson the only Heat player on the injury report, as Jaime Jaquez Jr was upgraded to available about an hour and a half before the game with that groin injury.

Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins did some early heavy lifting, as Norman Powell began to find his flow against his former team.

So let's get into some takeaways from this one:

1. Bam Adebayo setting an early tone.

Dec 1, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) and Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) battle for possession as guard Tyler Herro (14) follows on the play during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Whenever Bam Adebayo sees a drop big like Ivica Zubac in front of him, he usually sees an internal green light in his offensive game. That was the case early in this game, as Adebayo kicked things off with a transition pull-up three, mid range off glass, and a tough scoop off a hard drive. It was all Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins to start, who I'll discuss in a second. But when the interior stuff gets prioritized early without any Tyler Herro or Norman Powell touches, it does feel it makes this offense even more dangerous.

2. Andrew Wiggins continues to bring high level two-way play.

Nov 10, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins (22) reacts after he dunks to win the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during overtime at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The activity of Andrew Wiggins has been straight up loud and noticeable as of late. As the expected fourth option in that opening lineup, he's been surprisingly aggressive both off the catch and as a paint threat. Yet while I want to point out his offensive production, his defense has been seriously going under the radar. Whether it's defending small guards or sizing up Kawhi Leonard on a face up, he's been extremely strong on that side of the floor. That wingspan wrecks havoc on jump-shots, and he can move his feet with the best of them. There may have been some questions on his role coming into the season, but I'd say he's been one of the players on this roster that has understood his job best.

3. Norman Powell: a secondary killer.

Nov 3, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) celebrates at the end of the game against the LA Clippers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Playing his former team that chose not to keep him around before an extension was motivation enough for Norman Powell. But when looking at another strong shooting night for the Heat's guard, one thing stands out: he's an absolute terror to deal with when others around him have it rolling. As I mentioned before, Wiggins and Adebayo set a major offensive tone. But once he can roam off the ball into open space without being the primary worry, he's going to cook you. That's where he was doing his offensive damage in this one, as it was the three ball off the catch that shined. A true secondary action killer.