The Miami Heat got back in the win column last night, after suffering back-to-back losses, with a crucial and clutch victory over the Los Angeles Clippers with a final score of 120-119. They improved their record to 4-3.

It was also Norman Powell's revenge game, making his return after missing the last three games with right groin soreness, since he was traded from the Clippers to the Heat in the offseason. The veteran guard finished with 21 points, two rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 28 minutes.

However, the win had a deeper meaning for the Heat, involving a historic antagonist, Kawhi Leonard.

The six-time All-Star has been haunting the franchise since his tenure on the San Antonio Spurs. He led them to victory in 2014 over the Heat in the NBA Finals and was named Finals MVP. Also, averaging 17.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, two assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks while shooting 61.2 percent from the field, 57.9 percent from three-point range throughout the five-game series.

Leonard had a 15-2 record against the Heat before last night's game, with his previous regular-season loss dating back to March 23, 2013. The 34-year-old has been a part of three different organizations, but always finds a way to excel against them when on the court.

Last night, Leonard finished with 27 points, four rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks in 37 minutes. However, in the fourth quarter, it was James Harden who kept the Clippers within striking distance.

Leonard had a chance to win the game as the clock struck down, but because of the Heat's outstanding defense, he was forced into a step-back right corner three and missed. For the team to overcome this particular drought speaks to their competitiveness.

Also, it was the Heat's first win in the Clippers' new Intuit Dome.

"You just kind of had a feeling that in that second half, no matter what, it was going to end up in that kind of finish," Erik Spoelstra said postgame. "I was really encouraged and pleased with the defensive mentality in that second half. Guys really did some difficult things. That's a really skilled offensive team."

The Heat earned their first win of the four-game road trip, which will conclude in Denver, Colorado, on Wednesday, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time against the Nuggets. The team will attack another drought because they haven't won a regular-season game at high altitude since Nov. 30th, 2016. If they manage to end that, it could spark championship-caliber conversations.