Kevin Durant scored a game-high 39 points as the NBA champion Golden State Warriors rallied from an early 19-point deficit to edge the Miami Heat 120-118 on Sunday.
DeMarcus Cousins sank two free throws with 5.4 seconds left to play to help the Warriors hold off the Heat, who fell eight behind in the fourth quarter but took a 118-115 lead with 51.5 seconds left after back-to-back steals and baskets from Josh Richardson and Dwyane Wade.
Durant responded with his first three-pointer of the contest -- after six misses from beyond the arc -- to tie the game and Cousins made his free throws to seal the Warriors' 15th win in their last 16 games.
Durant said there was no mystery to the Warriors' comeback, fueled by a 12-0 scoring run early in the third quarter.
Klay Thompson scored 29 points for the Warriors and Stephen Curry, after a rocky first quarter with just three points, finished with 25.
Josh Richardson led the Heat with 37 points. Veteran Dwyane Wade added 10 off the bench, two days after a frighting fall in Sacramento.
Joel Embiid scored 37 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to power the Philadelphia 76ers over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 143-120 in a matchup of high-profile NBA clubs.
The 24-year-old Cameroon 7-footer (2.13m) was supported by 22 points from Tobias Harris and 21 more from JJ Redick in a romp over LeBron James and the Lakers, who fell to 28-28.
At 36-20, the 76ers pulled within 5.5 games of Eastern Conference leader Milwaukee as Embiid pondered the team's title hopes.
James had 18 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a losing cause.
Doncic carries load
In Dallas, Slovenian 19-year-old swingman Luka Doncic scored 28 points, including what proved to be the game-winning 3-point play, as the Dallas Mavericks edged visiting Portland 102-101.
Doncic, who also had nine rebounds and six assists, boosted Dallas ahead 102-99 with 88 seconds remaining but Portland's CJ McCollum hit a jumper to create the final margin.
Doncic played the entire fourth quarter, scoring 13 points in the period as the Mavs outscored Portland 24-9 in the final frame to rally from a 15-point deficit.