LOS ANGELES — Guard Mario Chalmers scored 19 points, and the Miami Heat captured a 78-75 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday at Staples Center.
Reserve center Hassan Whiteside had 15 points, nine rebounds and five blocks as the Heat (17-21) won for the third time in the last four games.
Shooting guard Kobe Bryant, center Jordan Hill and forward Ed Davis scored 12 points apiece for the Lakers (12-27), who dropped their fourth decision in five games.
Miami prevailed despite losing guard Dwyane Wade, who left the game in the second quarter with a mild left hamstring strain and did not return. Wade finished with four points, five rebounds and five assists in 15 minutes.
A 3-point basket by Bryant and a layup by forward Wesley Johnson cut the Heat’s lead to 72-70 with 2:05 left in the game. After the two teams exchanged baskets, consecutive buckets by Chalmers gave Miami a 78-72 lead with 33.9 seconds left.
Bryant answered with another 3-pointer with 31.3 seconds left, cutting the margin to three. However, after forward Luol Deng blew a layup, Bryant’s 3-point attempt bounced off the rim with 1.9 seconds remaining, giving Miami the win.
The Lakers stayed within striking distance despite missing their first 11 shots and falling behind 18-0. They finally got on the board when Bryant hit an 18-foot jumper at 4:23 of the quarter. Still, they only trailed 22-12 at the end of the quarter and 44-34 at the half.
Miami scored 38 of its 44 first-half points in the paint compared to only 16 for Los Angeles. The Heat also outshot the Lakers 47.5 percent to 25.5 percent at the break, but failed to shake them.
The Lakers closed to within 48-46 after a jumper by forward Wesley Johnson with 6:58 left in the third. However, the Heat outscored the Lakers 13-5 for a 61-53 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
NOTES: Lakers coach Byron Scott said G Kobe Bryant would sit out Friday’s contest against the Jazz in Utah. The game will be the second of back-to-back games, with Los Angeles hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday. Bryant isn’t expected to play consecutive games the rest of the season. “Right now, I think he’s at a point where his body can only take so much, and you want to get as much as you can out of him without taxing him too much as far as the minutes are concerned,” said Scott, who plans to keep the 36-year-old at 30-32 minutes per game. Scott added that if Bryant plays 32 minutes in regulation and the Lakers are forced to an overtime, he won’t use him. … The two clubs will meet again Jan. 23 in Miami. … The Heat visit the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.