Jordan Poole scored 30 points plus had a career-best nine assists, and the short-handed Golden State Warriors scored the first 19 points of the second half on the way to beating the frustrated Miami Heat 118-104 on Wednesday night.

Damion Lee, Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins each scored 22 points for the Warriors, who got 11 points from Gary Payton II and 16 rebounds from Kevon Looney.

Also read: NBA: Trae Young scores 45 in return to MSG, Atlanta Hawks beat New York Knicks 117-111

Kyle Lowry scored 26 points, Bam Adebayo had 25, Jimmy Butler finished with 20 and Duncan Robinson had 13 for the Heat. Miami shook off the huge Warriors run — and a huge dust-up on its bench during a timeout — to lead briefly in the fourth, then let the game slip away and had its lead in the Eastern Conference race trimmed to 1-1/2 games over Milwaukee and Boston.

Miami played without Tyler Herro, who got the night off because of a sprained left knee, and Gabe Vincent because of a toe contusion.

Also read: NBA at 75: 2000s saw MJ-LBJ shift, ‘Malice at the Palace’

The Warriors were already without Stephen Curry because of a sprained left foot and Andre Iguodala with low back tightness, plus gave Draymond Green, Otto Porter Jr. and Klay Thompson the night off for injury management.

Golden State made that decision based on medical rationale and a desire to minimize the chance of injury going into the playoffs — not because of a frustrating loss at Orlando on Tuesday, coach Steve Kerr said.

Also read: NBA: Kevin Durant has 37, Brooklyn Nets beat Utah Jazz 114-106 to extend good stretch

“Just talking with the training staff and continuing the process of making sure our players who have been injured or who are recovering from injuries are getting the care they need and the rest they need and not subjecting them to risk,” Kerr said. “These decisions are based on process, not on the results of the previous night’s games.”

Miami couldn’t hit anything to start the second half. That’s when the Heat contemplated hitting one another.

Also read: LeBron James scores 35, Los Angeles Lakers beat Toronto Raptors in 128-123 win

Golden State started the third quarter on a 19-0 run — capped by three 3-pointers from Poole from 31, 35 and 30 feet respectively, two of them banked in from just in front of the Heat bench to make a disastrous start even worse for Miami.

And during a huddle during a timeout during that Warriors’ flurry, tempers flared on the Miami bench. Butler and Udonis Haslem exchanged words, both needing to be held back by teammates. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra appeared to have words with Butler as well.

Also read: NBA: Stephen Curry to miss at least 2 weeks with sprained ligament in his foot

The Heat went on a 19-6 run to get the lead down to a 75-69, had the margin down to 81-80 entering the fourth and went up by three early in the final quarter.

Golden State wasn’t flustered in the least. Back-to-back layups by Kuminga gave the Warriors the lead to stay, and a trio of 3-pointers — by Lee, Payton and then Poole — just about sealed things, putting Golden State up 105-95 with 4:21 left.

Also read: NBA fines Kevin Durant for cursing out fan after loss to Mavericks

Tip-Ins

Warriors: Golden State improved to just 7-12 in its last 19 games. The Warriors won for the first time in their last four trips to Miami. Golden State’s last win on the Heat home floor was Dec. 3, 2017.

Heat: Olympic sprinting legend Usain Bolt of Jamaica was in the crowd. It was the second straight loss to a short-handed opponent. Miami lost in Philadelphia on Monday when the 76ers were playing without James Harden and Joel Embiid.

Up next

Warriors: Visit Atlanta on Friday.

Heat: Host New York on Friday.