One Heat player dominates fourth quarter vs Suns without even scoring

The turnaround happened fast.

After a 17 point halftime lead, the Miami Heat found themselves trailing by 6 with three and a half minutes to go in the fourth quarter on Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns.

A couple Bam Adebayo perimeter shots later, combined with two clutch Norman Powell game icing jumpers, the Heat closed the game out on a 19-7 run to come away with a much needed win.

So obviously Adebayo and Powell were the fourth quarter saviors, right?

Not exactly.

Jaime’s 5 assists in the final 3:30 of the 4th quarter vs Phoenix

(Clips via @nbaplaydb) pic.twitter.com/4B4SutgVeR
— 🌴🇺🇸🇨🇴🌴 (@Birdey954theWin) January 14, 2026

In a very interesting offensive lineup of Tyler Herro, Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr, and Adebayo, the expectation would be that you have five guys that can alter on the ball and take turns as you close the game out.

But they didn't switch it up. It was Jaime Jaquez Jr's game every time down the floor.

He was an offensive terror once he entered the game in that first half. Before you could even get past the security outside the Kaseya Center and into your seats, the sixth man of the year candidate already found his way into double figures.

Working that middle of the floor with ease time and time again, as he would breakdown his individual match-up without a screen.

That consequently led to Jaquez Jr shooting up the ranks in the opposing scouting report, as the Suns' clutch time defense can be translated to words as simple as "all eyes on Jaquez Jr."

Adebayo ran off three deep jumpers in a row after that 3:30 mark, as one of those threes had his foot on the line as a long two, but each and every one was a Jaquez paint touch, Phoenix defensive collapse, and simple kick-out.

It was one of the weaknesses of his game early on. Not just about being able to make that pass, but being able to make that read.

His decision making has seen such a spike that Coach Erik Spoelstra trusts him to put the ball totally in his hands in the most important part of the game.

Choose your favorite pic.twitter.com/YaRcD5eTvG
— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) January 14, 2026

Just look at the crowds he's creating when he has two feet in that paint. One of those possessions he picked up his dribble and put his back to the basket, as four white jerseys still turned their back to their assignments to run at this ascending third year player.

After that Adebayo flurry, Powell had to be the guy to settle them down with a minute to go. Jaquez Jr found him on a nice baseline cut for a short jumper, and another straight line drive into a corner kick-out three which basically iced the game.

It's a real luxury for Powell to be able to run around off the ball in clutch time as he did last night. When asked about it, he said, "That's the versatility in our games, like we don't need the ball every single possession to be effective on the offensive end. We can play without the ball, play off of one another...That's what our offense is for everybody. Tonight it was me on the recipient end making those plays and hitting those shots."

Talked to Norman Powell about getting off the ball in the clutch, and his thoughts on that closing lineup with Jaime handling: pic.twitter.com/GBqCgtnqqq
— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) January 14, 2026

Adebayo found a much needed bounce back. Powell and Herro both cracked 20 points comfortably, as they played off one another as cleanly as we've seen up to this point.

Yet the true story is the evolving game of Jaime Jaquez Jr.

It's one thing for your own team to praise you. It's another to be getting a boatload of respect from opposing staffs with the way they're treating him night in and night out.