And they’ll have two chances, if necessary.

Thomas Bryant scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 18 points and the Heat tuned up for a trip to the play-in tournament by beating the Toronto Raptors 118-103 on Sunday.

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro each scored 17 for Miami, while Jimmy Butler scored 15, Caleb Martin 12 and Delon Wright finished with 11 points and five steals for the Heat (46-36). Miami goes to Philadelphia to open the play-in tournament on Wednesday, with the winner securing the No. 7 seed.

“Should be a lot of fun,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The loser of the Miami-Philadelphia game will play host to either Atlanta or Chicago on Friday to determine the No. 8 seed and who’ll face No. 1 seed Boston in Round 1.

“We’ve just got to go out there and compete, play basketball the right way and do something very difficult — which is to win on Philly’s floor,” Butler said. “But it’s the time of the year where you’ll have to do that anyways if you want to win a championship. Obviously, we’ll have to do it if we want to get to 7.”

Gary Trent Jr. scored 18 points for Toronto. Jordan Nwora and Gradey Dick each scored 14, Kelly Olynyk scored 11 and Ochai Agbaji added 10.

Toronto finished 25-57, the fifth-worst record in franchise history. There was some early hope; the Raptors started 8-8 and a three-game winning streak in late February pushed their record to 22-36.

They went 3-21 the rest of the way, playing much of that final stretch without Scottie Barnes — a former rookie of the year who made his first All-Star team this year — because of injury.

“I think we managed to keep the group together and keep high spirits and really focused on player development of our young core,” Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said. “So, there is a lot of positive things that we’re going to embrace and look for going for into the future.”

It was tied after one quarter and the intrigue didn’t last much longer. Miami outscored Toronto 43-22 in the second to build a 67-46 halftime lead. The 21-point margin in the second quarter was Miami’s second-biggest of any period this season; the Heat outscored Portland by 24 in the second quarter of what became a 60-point win on March 29.

As long as they’re clicking, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will like their chances.

Nikola Jovic scored 22 points, Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 20 points and nine assists, and the Heat kept hope alive of escaping the play-in tournament by topping the Toronto Raptors 125-103 on Friday night.

Bam Adebayo scored 19 points, Tyler Herro scored 18, and Jimmy Butler and Kevin Love each scored 14 for the Heat (45-36). Miami still could get out of the play-in with a win in a rematch against the Raptors on Sunday and some help.

“I’m focused on my team. All I’m focused on (is) we can get to a place where we’re connected and playing for each other and playing a spirited game where it’s to our identity,” Spoelstra said. “That’s all I care about right now, because when we get to that, we feel like we can beat anybody, anywhere, any time.”

It’s the 14th time in Heat history that the team won 45 games in a season; all 13 of the previous squads made the playoffs.

RJ Barrett had 35 points and a season-high 11 rebounds for the Raptors, who lost for the 18th time in their last 20 games. Immanuel Quickley scored 15 points, Bruce Brown scored 14 and Kelly Olynyk grabbed 11 rebounds for Toronto.

“They’re a good team. They were moving the ball. Our first and second efforts were good, actually,” Barrett said. “They just kept going all the way into the shot clock and somehow would find an open 3.”

The Heat made 17 3s on Friday, and now will wait until Sunday to learn their playoff — or play-in — fate.

Orlando, Indiana, Philadelphia and Miami will finish No. 5, No. 6, No. 7 and No. 8 in the Eastern Conference, in some order. The Magic, Pacers and 76ers are all 46-35; the Heat are 45-36 going into Sunday’s finales.

Before the Heat-Raptors game went final on Friday, there were other outcomes that affected Miami’s playoff possibilities. Philadelphia won its seventh straight game by topping Orlando but remained seventh in the East. Indiana lost to Cleveland, a game that allowed the Cavaliers to clinch a top-four spot in the East.

The Heat never trailed, building an 11-point lead after one quarter and stretching it to 19 before settling on a 66-50 lead at the half. The lead eventually reached 25 and no Heat player logged more than 32 minutes.

“It matters … being able to rest, really recoup, get extra treatment, extra recovery and still cheer on your team,” Adebayo said.

The loss ensured that Toronto (25-56) will finish the season with the fifth-worst mark in franchise history, regardless of what happens in its finale at Miami on Sunday.

It’ll be Toronto’s worst season since going 22-60 in 2010-11.

UP NEXT

The teams meet again Sunday in Miami to end the regular season.

Doncic also had nine rebounds and nine assists for Dallas, which will face the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs — that series starting either April 20 or 21. It’ll be the third opening-round matchup between those teams in the last four seasons; the Clippers won each of the first two.

Derrick Jones Jr., P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford all finished with 12 points for Dallas.

Tyler Herro led the Heat with 21 points. Kevin Love had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Caleb Martin scored 14 and Jimmy Butler had 12 for the Heat.

Miami could have assured itself no worse than the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference standings by winning its final three games, all at home, starting with the Mavericks and then wrapping up with games against Toronto on Friday and Sunday.

But once again, the home-court edge was not enough of an edge for the Heat. Miami fell to 20-19 at home this season, after going 24-17 in road games during the regular season. The Heat need two wins and a lot of help to avoid going on the road for the first play-in tournament game next week.

It was all Dallas early, and pretty much stayed that way. Dallas led by as many as 25 in the first half, the fifth time this season that Miami got that far behind on its home floor — and the third such game in the last seven Heat home contests.

Gafford — he of the streak of 33 consecutive made field goals that ended last month — was 6 for 6, extending his current streak of made shots to 22 and counting.

Miami made a run in the second half, getting within single digits — first nine, then eight — on separate possessions early in the fourth quarter. And both times, Dallas didn’t let the margin get any closer. Baskets by Gafford and Washington stopped both and pushed Dallas’ lead back to double figures.

UP NEXT

Mavericks: Host Detroit on Friday night.

Heat: Host Toronto on Friday night.

Jimmy Butler had 25 points and nine assists and Nikoa Jovic added 23 points and eight rebounds as the Heat won for the fifth time in seven games.

With the win, Miami remained a half-game behind the Philadelphia 76ers, in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Dejounte Murray had 29 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists in 49 minutes for the Hawks. De’Andre Hunter finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

The Hawks are in 10th place in the conference, a game behind the Chicago Bulls.

Murray missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the end of the first overtime.

The Heat had the final possession of regulation with the score tied at 101. Herro missed badly on a desperation 3-point try after Butler ran down the clock. Butler scored the Heat’s final 10 points in regulation.

The Heat were in control early, and led by 12 at halftime. The Hawks put together a 19-6 run in the third quarter and tied the game at 75. Hunter had nine points during the spurt. Jalen Johnson turned his right ankle during the run and walked back to the locker room. He did not return and finished with 13 points and eight rebounds

The Heat were without starters Terry Rozier (neck) and Duncan Robinson (back).

Hawks All-Star Trae Young has resumed practice for the first time since his surgery for a torn ligament in his left fifth finger, but has not been cleared to play in a game.

UP NEXT

Heat: Host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

Hawks: Play their final regular-season home game against the Hornets on Wednesday.

Alekxei Pino had his leg amputated back in February.

Twenty-two-year-old Alekxei Pino, an employee of the Transportation Security Administration, showed 7News his other leg on Tuesday.

“They sliced through my nerves, all the way across,” he said. “This [leg] is shattered, and this one is mangled.”

Pino suffered these injuries on Feb. 6, when he was hit by a car and pinned against another in Southwest Miami-Dade.

The victim was accidentally struck by Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith.

Body camera video shows an officer asking Highsmith a few questions.

“So you were driving this way?” asked the officer.

“Yes,” said Highsmith.

“You were by yourself?” asked the officer.

“Yes,” said Highsmith.

Highsmith was driving home from the Kaseya Center following a Heat game against the Orlando Magic.

“Car was stopped here, and the lights weren’t on,” Highsmith told an officer.

Listed as the “at fault party” and cited for careless driving, Highsmith collided with Pino, who was in the street helping a driver with a broken-down car in the area of Southwest 136th Street and 138th Avenue.

“I heard my brother. He screamed for help. He thought I was gone,” said Pino.

The young man was told he could have easily lost his life.

“I was thanking God for every minute I was there,” said Pino as he fought back tears. “I remember saying sorry to the [emergency medical technicians], to ruin their Tuesday night.”

Attorney Manuel Dobrinsky is representing Pino, who is suing Highsmith.

“He’s worried more about how this has impacted his family. He’s worried more about putting out the people who were helping him,” said Dobrinsky.

Pino, a college student majoring in criminal justice, planned to go into law enforcement.

“What he envisioned for himself is now going to be something different,” said Dobrinsky.

But he’s battling back, and despite multiple surgeries, as well as a number of challenges, physical and otherwise, he is making progress.

“It’s hard feeling whole when you’re missing a part of you,” said Pino.

A former high school baseball and football player, Pino rehabilitates at home when not at prescribed appointments.

“I use this once a day, if not twice,” he said referring to his home gym equipment.

Pino said he is also battling mental trauma from the crash, and he hopes his story becomes a cautionary tale for drivers.

“To stay aware and be safe, always,” he said. “You might miss whatever you need to pay attention to, and that might be the kid crossing the road, the dog crossing the street, or a person like me, trying to help somebody.”

Pino’s road to recovery is uphill, but it’s one he plans to handle.

“I tell myself now, ‘You were able to do it before with two legs. You can do it with one,'” he said.

Pino also suffered serious injuries to his shoulder and hand.

As of late Tuesday night, representatives for Highsmith have not responded to 7News’ request for comment.

Pino’s family has created GoFundMe page. If you would like to make a donation, click here.

Miami’s Tyler Herro, the league said, was fouled by Indiana’s T.J. McConnell while shooting a 3-pointer with about 55 seconds remaining. No foul was called on the play.

And a foul called by official Marat Kogut against Heat center Bam Adebayo with 17.1 seconds left was made in error, the league said. Indiana’s Myles Turner made two free throws after that foul call.

The league, in its public report detailing calls and non-calls made in the last two minutes of close games, said Monday that Adebayo “makes clean contact with the ball, simultaneous to Herro … making incidental hand-on-ball contact to dislodge it from Turner.”

Miami did not have a challenge remaining to contest the foul called on Adebayo. The Heat used it unsuccessfully earlier in the fourth quarter.

Indiana remains in the No. 6 spot in the East. Miami’s loss, combined with Philadelphia’s win at San Antonio later Sunday night, dropped the Heat to No. 8. Had the Heat won at Indiana — a game in which they trailed by 22 points before rallying to make it close — they would have been in the No. 6 spot.

The top six teams in each conference are assured of playoff spots. The teams that finish seventh through 10th in each conference will be part of the play-in tournament next week to determine the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds.

The Pacers have won four of five to take a 1 1/2-game lead over the Heat for the Eastern Conference’s sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot.

Jimmy Butler had 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Heat. Tyler Herro scored 21 points but had a made free throw erased because of a lane violation on Kevin Love with 3.6 seconds to go and the Heat down two.

Bam Adebayo and Caleb Martin each scored 20 and Adebayo had 12 rebounds for Miami, which lost for just the second time in six games as it tries to avoid staying in the league’s Play-In tournament.

Indiana never trailed over the final 45 1/2 minutes, but Miami certainly made it difficult late. The Heat cut the deficit to one twice in the final 3 1/2 minutes, but the Pacers answered both times on a festive day for Pacers fans.

The near sellout crowd gave team owner Herb Simon, the longest-tenured owner in NBA history, a standing ovation during an early timeout following his election to the 2024 Hall of Fame class.

And for a team trying to snap a three-year playoff drought, which has lost a franchise-record nine straight playoff games, hasn’t won a postseason series in a decade and whose young roster is filled largely with players who have little or no playoff experience, Sunday’s game was the biggest since the In-Season Tournament — and Indiana played like it.

It controlled most of the game until Miami’s 12-4 run cut the deficit to 103-101 with 3:14 to go. But Indiana answered with Ben Sheppard’s layup, Aaron Nesmith’s two free throws and Pascal Siakam’s three-point play to make it 110-103 with 1:58 left.

Miami made it a one-point game again with 11 seconds to go on Herro’s 3 and had a chance to do it again from the free-throw line with Herro at the line. But after Love was called for a lane violation, Indiana inbounded the ball and closed it out at the line.

Indiana now holds tiebreakers for winning season series against Milwaukee, New York, Miami and Philadelphia. The Cavaliers would join the list if Indiana wins at Cleveland later this week.UP NEXT

Heat: Play their final regular season road game Tuesday at Atlanta.

Pacers: Continue their playoff push Tuesday at Toronto.

The Heat, who are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, won for the fourth time in five games and extended their winning streak against Houston to eight.

“As we’ve said all year long, we’re always in control of our own destiny,” Butler said. “And so now that’s the case more than ever. So it’s good to start by getting on the road and winning. Wins are so very hard to come by no matter who you’re playing against.”

The Rockets opened the fourth quarter with an 8-2 run, capped by two 3-pointers by Jalen Green, to cut the lead to 94-91 with about 10 minutes to go.

The Heat got 3-pointers from Caleb Martin, Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. in a 20-5 run after that to make it 114-96 with just more than four minutes remaining.

Green and Houston coach Ime Udoka received technical fouls during that stretch for yelling at the officials. Jeff Green made a 3-pointer for Houston with about eight minutes left, but the Rockets didn’t score again until a layup by Jock Landale four minutes later.

Herro had 17 points, six assists and five rebounds in his return after missing 20 games with knee and foot injuries. He didn’t start but played 25 minutes minutes after coach Erik Spoelstra said he’d be on a minutes restriction.

“It’s just great to have him back,” Spoelstra said. “As head coach I didn’t forget what he brings to the table. The skill level, the creativity, the speed… those are all things that we need.”

He added that he didn’t intend to play Herro as much as he did.

“I’ll probably get a stern talking to from the training staff,” Spoelstra said. “The big thing will be how he feels tomorrow.”

Jalen Green had 21 points and Dillon Brooks added 18 for the Rockets, who lost their fourth straight game after winning the previous 11.

“We just didn’t have the pop, the juice, kind of the swag and the bounce that you need to compete at a high level,” Houston’s Fred VanVleet said. “We didn’t have it.”

The Heat were up by five at halftime and used a 7-2 run, with the last four points from Butler, to extend their lead to 77-66 midway through the third.

Five straight points by the Rockets, with a 3 by VanVleet, cut the lead to seven later in the third, but Miami scored the next six points to push the lead to 89-76.

The Heat led 93-83 entering the fourth.

UP NEXT

Heat: Visit Indiana Sunday.

Rockets: Visit Dallas Sunday.

No problem. The 76ers had one last run in them — and it was the only one that mattered.

Tyrese Maxey scored 37 points, Joel Embiid added 29 and the 76ers topped the Miami Heat 109-105 on Thursday night to tighten the already-muddled race in the Eastern Conference for the last guaranteed playoff spot.

“It was a super-competitive game,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said. “Always is. I think it’s always an intense, physical, lots-of-energy-expended by everybody that’s out there. And it was really going back and forth. Big run by us, big run by them, really back and forth.”

That’s an understatement. A 15-3 run by Philly ended it, on a night that was really nothing but wild runs by either side.

— The 76ers started the game on a 17-2 spurt.

— Miami took the lead later in the first half after a 25-6 run.

— The 76ers came right back with a 20-1 burst.

— The Heat went on a 17-0 run midway through the second half, and led by eight with 6:28 left.

“We’re right next to each other in the standings so that’s what games are going to be like — back and forth, back and forth, back and forth,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’ll go on a run, they’ll go on a run, it just keeps on going that way and they made the final run.”

Maxey was one rebound shy of a triple-double, finishing with 11 assists and nine boards for Philadelphia. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 18 points for the 76ers, who moved within a half-game of Miami for No. 7 in the East.

“Every game matters,” Maxey said. “Every game is a playoff game at this point. Honestly, we’re like in a March Madness situation. You know, every game is not an elimination game, but every game is important.”

Terry Rozier scored 22 points before appearing to be dealing with some knee pain in the final moments and Jimmy Butler added 20 for Miami, which entered the night No. 6 in the East but ceded that spot back to Indiana. Bam Adebayo had 14, Haywood Highsmith scored 12, Kevin Love had 11 points and 16 rebounds off the bench and Nikola Jovic added 11 points for Miami.

Embiid, in his second game back after missing two months following surgery on the meniscus in his left knee, shot 11 for 25, and the 76ers were outscored by 19 points in his 32-plus minutes.

Embiid checked out with 7:33 remaining and the Heat leading 100-93. It only seemed like the 76ers were in trouble.

By the time Embiid returned, Philadelphia had the lead for good. Oubre hit a corner 3-pointer with 3:30 left to put Philly back on top. Rozier hit a 3-pointer to get Miami within two, Butler missed what would have been a go-ahead 3 with 5.2 seconds left, and the 76ers escaped on a night when Miami could have taken a big step toward escaping the play-in tournament.

“There’s no time for emotion right now,” Adebayo said. “We’ve got a game tomorrow, so on to the next, focus on that.”

UP NEXT

76ers: Visit Memphis on Saturday.

Heat: Visit Houston on Friday.

Rozier scored 34 points, sealed by a beat-the-shot-clock 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining, and the Heat inched closer to an Eastern Conference playoff berth by holding off the New York Knicks 109-99 on Tuesday night.

Rozier was 10 for 15 from the field, 8 for 11 on 3s. And the Heat — who led by 16, then fell into a tie when New York went on a 12-0 run late — needed every bit of that effort.

“We stayed poised and figured out what we needed to do on offense,” Rozier said. “And we did it.”

Jimmy Butler scored 17 points, Bam Adebayo added 15 and Haywood Highsmith finished with 14 for the Heat.

“More than anything, this was an introduction to our new players, especially Terry, to Heat-Knicks,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “This is what these games are … two teams that are very committed to doing tough things, especially on the defensive end.”

Donte DiVincenzo scored 31 points for New York, while Deuce McBride added 24 and Jalen Brunson finished with 20 points and 10 assists.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 16 for New York. The Knicks rallied from 21 points down in the fourth quarter to beat Miami on Nov. 24 and nearly pulled off another big comeback — until Rozier delivered in the biggest moment for the Heat.

“You’ve got to give them credit,” Knicks forward Josh Hart said. “They opened the door, let us back in, and then they did what good teams do and finished up strong.”

Miami (42-33) moved within a half-game of idle Indiana for the coveted No. 6 — and last guaranteed playoff spot — in the East. The Heat also did their Florida neighbors a favor; the idle Orlando Magic leapfrogged New York (44-31) into No. 4 in the East by virtue of holding the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Knicks.

The Heat remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Philadelphia for No. 7 in the East; the 76ers visit Miami on Thursday.

Miami got Kevin Love back for the first time in more than a month — he’d missed the last 16 games with heel soreness — and he finished with eight points. The Heat were still without Tyler Herro, who missed his 19th consecutive game with right foot tendinitis.

New York’s Mitchell Robinson, who missed nearly four months after left ankle surgery, was back for the third time in the last four games. But the Knicks remained without O.G. Anunoby (right elbow) and Julius Randle (right shoulder). Anunoby was out for the 26th time in the last 29 games and Randle has now missed 29 consecutive games; he hasn’t played since getting hurt against Miami in late January.

The Knicks are still hoping Randle can get back this season.

“You have to have a belief that it will turn, which I do,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Maybe it’s tomorrow, maybe it’s the day after, who knows when it is, but just keep putting everything you have into each day. So, work out, do your rehab, try to strengthen your shoulder as much as you can and go from there.”

Jimmy Butler added 17 points for the Heat, who won their second straight. Miami, seventh in the Eastern Conference, went 25 for 29 from the free throw line to move within a half-game of Indiana in the race to avoid the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Despite reaching the NBA Finals from the No. 7 seed last season, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said there’s every reason to chase as high a position as possible.

“We’re going for it. That’s who we are,” Spoelstra said. “And if we see opportunity in front of us, that’s what we’re going for.”

Miami will play three teams grappling for East playoff position in its next four games, beginning with New York at home on Tuesday.

“We can’t worry about the next four, we’ve got to worry about the next one,” Adebayo said. “Both teams got something to lose at the end of the day. So there’s going to be a little more edge.”

Jordan Poole scored 22 points and Marvin Bagley III had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Washington on a night Wizards leading scorer Kyle Kuzma sat out with a bruised right heel. Anthony Gill tied a career high with 18 points for the Wizards, who have lost three in a row following a season-high three-game win streak.

Miami hit seven 3-pointers — half of their total makes all game — to take control during a 24-7 run that stretched across halftime. Rozier hit the final two before the interval, the second giving the Heat a 66-59 edge at the break, their largest lead to that point.

“That’s what he’s for, to be that spark, that light when we need him,” Adebayo said of Rozier, who scored 20 of his points before halftime. “And obviously he runs the team well.”

Duncan Robinson hit two more 3s early in the third in his first game after missing five with ongoing back issues. And after Rozier and Nikola Jovic added two more 3s the lead had grown to 78-62.

Butler scored five straight points in the fourth on a dunk from a back-door cut and then a three-point play to restore Miami’s lead to 112-97, after the Wizards briefly cut the deficit down to 10.

“We’ll take them literally however we can get them at this point,” Spoelstra said of the win. “In the second half, when we were able to get some consecutive defensive stops and push it to a double-digit lead, that was the first time we were really able to create some separation and keep it there. And that was encouraging to see.”

UP NEXT

Heat: Host New York on Tuesday night.

Wizards: Host Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

The Heat remained seventh in the East and extended the Trail Blazers’ losing skid to nine.

Thomas Bryant had a season-high 26 points, Terry Rozier added 22 and Haywood Highsmith finished with 20, the second time in club history that four players had 20 or more. The Heat were never threatened after a 21-4 run put them ahead 50-29 in the second quarter.

“To win big like this feels good for the group,” Rozier said. “We have to build off tonight.”

The Heat broke the team margin record of 43 against the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 29, 1994, and also set a club record with 41 assists. They made 21 of 39 3-pointers, with Highsmith making 5 of 6 and Rozier 6 of 10. Adebayo also made two 3-pointers.

“This is a very complete game all around,” Highsmith said. “We were all dialed in and locked in.”

Miami set a team record for assists in any half with 24 in the first led 74-40 lead at the break. The Heart had 23 assists in a half in three previous games.

“There was professionalism from our part and energy and intentionality,” Heat coach Erik Spelstra said. “That’s really what we’re aiming for right now. It doesn’t guarantee you get the results that you want but you stack those minutes and possessions, quarters, games, you start to build those habits and it becomes more who you are.”

The lopsided margin allowed Spoelstra to rest Adebayo and star forward Jimmy Butler most of the second half. Butler returned after missing the 113-92 home loss to Golden State Tuesday because of an illness and finished with eight points.

The loss was the third largest in Trail Blazers’ history, topped by a 62-point rout against Oklahoma City on Jan. 11 and a 124-59 loss to Indiana on Feb. 27, 1998.

“Obviously, it was a very rough game for us,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “It was unfortunate because I thought the first four or five minutes we played really clean. It didn’t last long. It happened pretty quick. Their defense –they got physical – and we couldn’t get to the paint. We started to settle and turn it over.”

Scoot Henderson scored 20 points for the Trail Blazers. Deandre Ayton returned after a four-game absence because of left elbow tendonitis and finished with 18 points. But Jerami Grant (right hamstring strain) and Anfernee Simmons (left knee tendinitis) remain sidelined.

The injury buildup forced Portland to start five rookies in the previous three games.

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: At Orlando on Monday night.

Heat: At Washington on Sunday night.

The Golden State bench roared in approval.

So did tons of fans. And this wasn’t in San Francisco. It was in Miami.

The Warriors’ trend of having more wins on the road than at home continued on Tuesday night. Klay Thompson returned to the starting lineup and scored 28 points, Kuminga added 18 and the Warriors pulled away in the second half to beat the still-shorthanded Miami Heat 113-92.

“Our assist to turnover ratio was really good,” Thompson said, scanning the postgame stat sheet that showed the Warriors with 30 assists and 12 total turnovers. “That’s always a great indicator of if it’s a good night at the office.”

The Warriors are 18-19 at home and now 19-15 on the road; they’re on pace to be the second team in NBA history to finish with a winning record overall while having a sub-.500 record at home.

“You walk into any arena in the league on the road and there’s automatically blue and yellow jerseys all over the place,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Steph’s got so many fans across the country and a lot of people cheer for him no matter where we are.”

Curry and Andrew Wiggins each scored 17 for Golden State, which led by two at the half and then led by as many as 22 points in the fourth.

Bam Adebayo scored 24 points for Miami, which played without leading scorer Jimmy Butler — sidelined by an illness. The Heat also were without Tyler Herro (foot) for a 16th consecutive game, Kevin Love (heel) for a 14th consecutive game and Duncan Robinson (back) for a fourth game in a row.

Haywood Highsmith and Terry Rozier each scored 15 points for the Heat. Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 12 and Nikola Jovic had 11. Miami fell to 2-16 when it scores less than 103 points.

“It helps when they’re missing their elite scorers,” Thompson said.

Thompson was 11 for 20 from the floor, 6 for 14 on 3-pointers and had his highest-scoring game since Feb. 15 for the Warriors.

Miami was within 87-81 early in the fourth; Golden State outscored the Heat 26-11 the rest of the way.

“We could never get it to the moment of truth,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And you have to credit Golden State.”

The Warriors (37-34) moved a full game ahead of idle Houston in the race for 10th — and the final play-in spot — in the Western Conference.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Warriors center Kevon Looney said.

Miami (39-33) remained seventh in the Eastern Conference, tied with Philadelphia but one spot over the 76ers because of a head-to-head tiebreaker. The loss also left Miami 1 1/2 games behind Indiana in the race for the sixth, and last guaranteed playoff spot, in the East.

UP NEXT

Warriors: Visit Orlando on Wednesday.

Heat: Host Portland on Friday.

It was that kind of night for the Miami Heat. Everything went right.

Haywood Highsmith scored 18 points, part of a 59-point effort by Miami’s reserves, and the Heat built what was their biggest lead in more than a decade on the way to beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-84 on Sunday night to snap a three-game home slide.

“Our home fans really deserved this, to be honest with you,” Highsmith said. “We haven’t been playing our best basketball at home. They deserve our best version of basketball and tonight was definitely fun for them.”

Adebayo had 15 points and 16 rebounds and Butler scored 15 points for the Heat, who led by 45 in the fourth quarter. Their biggest lead this season entering Sunday was 33, also against Cleveland on Nov. 22, and the 45-point cushion was their largest since leading Chicago by 46 in a playoff game on May 8, 2013.

Miami started the day seventh in the Eastern Conference and ended there as well, tied with Philadelphia at 39-32. The 76ers won at the Los Angeles Clippers earlier Sunday, but currently trail the Heat because of the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Miami was coming off a 23-point loss to New Orleans on Friday.

“This group really cares. Even after a night like the other night … when it’s a really lopsided loss and you can erroneously say, ‘that’s a listless team,’ it’s not,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “This is a team that cares deeply.”

Evan Mobley scored 15 points for Cleveland (43-28), which lost for the seventh time in 10 games but remained No. 3 in the East, a half-game ahead of New York.

Both teams were short-handed Sunday. Cleveland got Mobley back after a nine-game absence with an ankle issue, but was again without Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus and Dean Wade. Miami played without Tyler Herro, Kevin Love, Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr.

“Mentally, physically, we’re worn,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It’s on us all to figure it out. There’s no excuses. It doesn’t get any easier. But I just think tonight was one of those nights where collectively, it just set in on us.”

It was the first time since Jan. 30, 2008, that Cleveland had only one player in double figures; it was LeBron James that night.

“Just one of those nights,” Bickerstaff said.

Terry Rozier and Thomas Bryant each scored 14 for Miami. It was Miami’s biggest victory margin of the season and Cleveland’s most lopsided loss; the previous entry in both cases was also a Heat-Cavs game, the 129-96 win by Miami in November.

The Heat got a buzzer-beating layup from Rozier to end the first quarter with a 30-22 lead. Rozier did the same thing to end the second quarter, that score pushing the Miami margin out to 60-39.

And in the third, it became a runaway. A 23-2 run over a five-minute stretch wound up pushing Miami’s lead to 86-46. Cleveland pulled all five starters just 3 1/2 minutes into the third and four of them — Isaac Okoro, Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert and Darius Garland — stayed there the rest of the way.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: Host Charlotte on Monday.

Heat: Host Golden State on Tuesday.

It was McCollum’s fifth 30-point game of the season and his second in the last week. Trey Murphy III scored 14 points and Naji Marshall had 13 for New Orleans, which only got four points in 25 minutes from Zion Williamson and rolled anyway.

Jimmy Butler scored 17 points for the Heat, who fell four games behind Orlando in the Southeast Division race and missed a potential opportunity to climb out of play-in tournament range. Terry Rozier scored 13 and Bam Adebayo finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for Miami — which was 13 for 47 from 3-point range.

The Pelicans were without Brandon Ingram, who will miss at least two weeks with a bone bruise in his left knee. He was hurt in Thursday’s loss at Orlando, but the Pelicans say he’ll be re-evaluated early next month — which would mean before the end of the regular season.

“We’re going to miss him, 20 points per game, he’s leading our team in assists, so we’re definitely going to miss him,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “But we’re grateful that it wasn’t more than what it was. … We’re going to miss him. The next guys just have to step up.”

Miami was again without Tyler Herro (foot), Duncan Robinson (back) and Kevin Love (heel). And when the Heat can’t score, they can’t win — they’re now 2-15 when they score 100 points or less, as compared to 36-17 when scoring at least 101.

The Heat have lost 10 of their last 17 home games. A team that entered Friday with the ninth-best road record this season at 21-16 is now just 17-16 at home, the 19th-best mark in the league when the game ended.

“We just have not been good enough. We all know that. We’re aware of it,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

It was the first meeting between the teams since Feb. 23, when the teams scuffled and four players — Butler and Thomas Bryant for the Heat; Alvarado and Marshall for the Pelicans — were ejected from what became a 106-95 Miami win. Afterward, Butler said, “We’ll beat them the next time, too.”

The Pelicans evidently remembered. Green predicted pregame that his team would feel some added emotions given what happened a month ago against the Heat.

“For us, it’s simple,” Green said. “Go out, execute the game plan, play our style, play up to our standards.”

Butler opened the second half with a three-point play that got Miami within one, and the Pelicans immediately responded with an 11-0 run to keep control. New Orleans was down 18-7 early and then settled into a groove, trailing only once in the final 36 minutes — and that was a mere 22-second stint early in the second quarter.

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Visit Detroit on Sunday.

Heat: Host Cleveland on Sunday night.

Rozier converted a 4-point play before sinking a 26 footer that gave Miami a 105-102 lead. After Georges Niang made two free throws for the Cavaliers, Rozier followed with two of his own with 2.8 seconds remaining.

Darius Garland had a chance to force overtime, but his off-balance, 3-point attempt was off the mark and Cleveland lost its third straight home game.

Jimmy Butler scored 30 points and Rozier finished with 24, helping Miami pull within one-half game of Philadelphia for the sixth and final automatic playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Nikola Jovic added 14 points.

Jarrett Allen had 25 points and 20 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who are third in the East. Garland scored 20 points, Caris LeVert added 16 points and 12 assists, and Niang had 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter.

Cleveland was without three starters in All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell (nasal fracture), power forward Evan Mobley (left ankle sprain) and small forward Max Strus (right knee strain). Mitchell will have his status updated next week.

All-Star center Bam Adebayo (lower back contusion) and shooting guard Duncan Robinson (back discomfort) were unavailable for Miami. Both saw action Monday in a 98-91 loss at Philadelphia.

“We went through the usual medical evaluation and Bam is just not ready,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’ll treat him day by day.”

The Heat built a 54-43 lead in the second quarter — aided by three Cleveland technical fouls in a 4 1/2-minute span — before going into halftime up 61-57. Butler had 20 points for Miami, while Allen paced the Cavaliers with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

UP NEXT

Heat: Host New Orleans on Friday night.

Cavaliers: At Minnesota on Friday night.

Lowry turns 38 next week and joked that at his age, he has “no brakes.” But his feet flying in the air is just the way the 76ers’ guard plays — no extra incentive needed, not even in his first game against his former Heat teammates.

“I think the juice was that we understood it was a big game for the standings,” Lowry said. “I love and admire those guys so much. I still root for them, except when we play against them. There was no added juice.”

Tyrese Maxey had 30 points and 10 assists and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 22 points and 11 rebounds to help Philadelphia hold off Miami 98-91 Monday night in a potential preview of an NBA play-in tournament game.

Lowry shot 6 of 12 and scored 16 points for the Sixers in his first game against the Heat since they traded him in January.

“He was being a little ornery at shootaround today and he hasn’t been yet,” said coach Nick Nurse, who won an NBA title with Lowry in Toronto. “I feel like he’s getting back to more of his normal self.”

Bam Adebayo had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Heat. Terry Rozier III scored 20 points.

The Heat trailed by 14 points entering the fourth, before going on a 20-8 run and tying the game at 85 on Caleb Martin’s dunk. Buddy Hield snapped the tie with 3-pointer and Lowry hit a 3, helping the Sixers avoid a collapse in a game they needed to win.

The Eastern Conference champion Heat are again in play-in mode with 14 games left this season, falling to eighth in the standings — they finished seventh a year ago when Jimmy Butler sparked an improbable run to the NBA Finals. With Indiana’s loss, the 76ers are barely in sixth at 38-30 — Indiana is 38-31; the Heat 37-31.

The Sixers had been in an ugly spiral after spending most of the season as a surefire conference contender, until losing Joel Embiid to a knee injury in late January.

Butler (right foot contusion) and Embiid (who continues to rehab) missed Monday’s game. Sixers forward Tobias Harris (right ankle sprain) also missed this one, and Miami’s Duncan Robinson was forced out of the game with a bad back, leaving both teams devoid of star power — except for Maxey.

Nurse remained optimistic Embiid could return before the end of the season.

“I think he kind of rounds back into shape and rhythm pretty quickly,” Nurse said. “I think obviously the more games we have him, the better. I also think we want to get to a point where he’s as healthy as he can be at playoff or play-in time.”

At this pace, the Heat and Sixers could play each other in the play-in tournament. In the fourth year of the format, the No. 7 seed plays No. 8. The winner is in, and gets the No. 7 seed for the playoffs. The loser has a second chance.

“We’re going to try and fight like heck to finish as high as we can,” Nurse said.

Because of injuries, the Heat have used a franchise-record 32 starting lineups. They are trying to find consistency down the stretch and stave off a potential second straight run that starts with the play-in.

“We’re not thinking about last year, not thinking about any of the narratives,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Without Embiid, Maxey steadied the Sixers and dropped 18 points in the first half to help the Sixers win their second straight game following a skid in which they dropped seven of 10.

UP NEXT

Heat: Play Wednesday at Cleveland.

76ers: Harris will join the team as it opens a four-game trip in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Cade Cunningham missed a 3-pointer for Detroit with 9 seconds left and Terry Rozier sprinted up the court with the rebound. He couldn’t get to the basket, so he tossed the ball to Adebayo, who made his third 3-pointer in the last three games.

Duncan Robinson scored a season-high 30 points for Miami on 10-for-15 shooting. Adebayo had 20 points and 17 rebounds as the Heat beat the Pistons for the second time in three days.

Robinson hit his 1,000th career 3-pointer in the first quarter. He reached the mark in 343 games, breaking the NBA record of 350 by Buddy Hield.

Evan Fournier scored a season-high 18 for the Pistons, who honored their 2004 NBA championship team at halftime. Cunningham had 17 points and nine assists, but he went 1 for 6 from beyond the arc.

Miami played without Jimmy Butler, forcing coach Erik Spoelstra to use his franchise-record 32nd starting lineup of the season.

Robinson converted a four-point play with 2:00 left, giving Miami a 101-96 lead. Isaiah Stewart’s 3-pointer cut the margin to two and Adebayo’s putback was ruled to come just after the shot clock expired.

Cunningham’s layup tied it, and Robinson turned the ball over to give Detroit a chance at its first lead of the game.

Miami led 90-85 with 6:33 left, thanks to a possession when Adebayo drew a foul and grabbed three offensive rebounds before tipping in the last one. But Fournier answered with his fourth 3 and Jalen Duren tied the game from the free-throw line.

The Heat led 60-50 at the half and increased the margin to 73-56 on Haywood Highsmith’s jump hook midway through the quarter.

UP NEXT

Heat: At the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

Pistons: At the Boston Celtics on Monday.

Dozens of participants dribbled a ball for two miles to the finish line at the Kaseya Center in downtown Miami on Saturday.

Former Heat team captain Udonis Haslem led the way for an important cause.

“I lost my mother about 13 years ago, my father about three or four years ago, and then I lost my stepmom about three months ago, so it’s impacting me at the highest level,” said Haslem. “Sometimes it gets lonely, but I think the only way we can overcome this, and the only way we can win is collaborate.”

Bounce Back from Cancer has raised more than $6 million for cancer research and innovation since 2018.

“That’s what these dollars do. This helps us to bring the best in class treatments and drugs to serve our community,” said Dr. Manmeet Ahluwalia with Baptist Health South Florida.

Adebayo went 10 for 14 from the floor before sitting out the fourth quarter as Miami coasted to the win. Caleb Martin and Terry Rozier each had 18 points.

“Bam was going to impose his will on this game, and he did it on both ends of the court,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That’s what leaders do. In the toughest moments of the season, they step up and you just follow them.”

The Pistons were trying for their first three-game winning streak since the 2021-22 season, but committed 18 turnovers that led to 33 Miami points.

“That’s a huge part of (the game), just because giving up that many points is demoralizing,” Pistons coach Monty Williams said. “We had some really tough offensive possessions where we weren’t organized. That was responsible for some of the turnovers.”

Simone Fontecchio scored 24 points and Jalen Duren added 15 points and 17 rebounds.

“It’s easy for me to play with this group,” said Fontecchio, who replaced Ausar Thompson (illness) in the starting lineup. “They make everything easier for me, especially playing with Cade (Cunningham).”

Cunningham, playing with a sore knee, had 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes.

The teams play again Sunday afternoon in Detroit.

Miami led 56-54 at the half, but outscored Detroit 8-2 in the first two minutes of the third quarter. Four of the points came off Detroit turnovers, giving the Heat 24 for the game.

“When you give up 33 points off turnovers and you’re not making a lot of shots, it becomes very difficult,” Fontecchio said.

The Heat struggled badly from the 3-point line in the first two-plus quarters, missing 17 of their first 20 attempts, but Duncan Robinson hit three straight to take an 83-65 lead with 2:14 left in the quarter.

“He’s as ignitable as anyone in the league,” Spoelstra said. “The first one was at the clock and probably one of the tougher ones he’s hit in the last few games.

“When he hits one of those, it can become an avalanche.”

Miami’s lead was 84-72 going into the fourth and the Pistons never forced Adebayo back into the game. Thomas Bryant, Adebayo’s backup, scored 11 points in the quarter.

Adebayo and Fontecchio each scored 16 points in the first half, while Duren had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points, Aaron Gordon added 16 and the reigning NBA champion Nuggets took sole possession of first place in the West standings with a 100-88 win over the sliding Miami Heat in a finals rematch on Wednesday night.

“If we can get (the No. 1 seed), sure, we’re going to take it,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “And we’re not going to shy away from that. You know, it was very effective for us last year, having home-court throughout the entirety of the playoffs.”

Jamal Murray scored 14 points and Nikola Jokic finished with 12 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for the Nuggets (46-20), who moved a half-game ahead of Oklahoma City (45-20) and a full game up on Minnesota (45-21) in the West race.

Denver is an NBA-best 10-1 since the All-Star break, and the Nuggets are 32-9 when their go-to starting five — Porter Jr., Gordon, Murray, Jokic and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — are together in the lineup. The Nuggets hadn’t ended a day alone atop the West since mid-November.

“When they want to put on the jets, they’ve been able to leave teams behind in the dust,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Bam Adebayo scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Miami. Jimmy Butler scored 15, Terry Rozier had 14 and Duncan Robinson added 11 for the Heat (35-30), who are now 2 1/2 games behind Orlando — a winner over Brooklyn on Wednesday — in the Southeast Division race.

The Heat have lost four straight and remain No. 8 in the Eastern Conference, playing again Wednesday without Tyler Herro (foot) and Kevin Love (heel).

Denver is 12-1 in its last 13 games against the Heat, including last season’s NBA Finals, and has won seven consecutive games on Miami’s home floor.

Reggie Jackson made three jumpers in a span of three possessions late in the fourth for Denver, his seven-point flurry putting the Nuggets up by 10 with 3:38 left. That was more than enough; Denver held Miami to four points in the final 4:34 and outscored the Heat 28-17 in the fourth.

“They were playing off me, trying to guard the best player in the world — Jokic,” Jackson said.

Added Spoelstra: “They had their burst, and that was basically the game.”

Denver used a 15-0 run in the first quarter to build a double-digit lead, one that eventually reached 13 points in the opening period. The Nuggets led for all but 2:48 of the first half, but the Heat never trailed by more than eight in the second quarter.

And in the third, Miami finally — but briefly — reclaimed the lead. Former Nuggets center Thomas Bryant scored for a four-point lead late in the third, matching Miami’s biggest edge of the night, but Denver responded with a 10-2 run and stayed ahead the rest of the way.

“Something we always talk about is that your fourth quarter has to be your best quarter,” Malone said. “It’s closing time.”

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Visit San Antonio on Friday night.

Heat: Visit Detroit on Friday night, then again Sunday afternoon.

Corey Kispert finished with 22 points, Deni Avdija added 16 and Tyus Jones had 12 points and 16 assists for the Wizards, who got their first road victory since Jan. 29, ending an eight-game skid away from home.

“We have to stay consistent. That’s been our Achilles’ heel all year — inconsistency,” Kuzma said. “We’ve been consistently inconsistent. If we can keep showing that type of fight and grit, next game against Memphis, then I might have a different answer.”

Kuzma made 12 of 16 free throws and had nine rebounds and four of Washington’s 35 assists, four short of a team season high. Jones finished with one turnover.

Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, while Duncan Robinson, Terry Rozier and Bam Adebayo each finished with 16 for the Heat, who lost their third straight and fell to eighth in the East.

Kuzma had 3-pointers that began and closed a 22-10 spurt that gave Washington a 110-100 lead with 2:45 remaining.

“You get to the last six minutes of the game and you don’t want to give anybody anything,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Any kind of air space, especially when we’re playing possession games. You don’t want to dare anybody and they made us pay for that.”

The Wizards shot 16 of 39 on 3-pointers, including 6 of 9 in the fourth quarter.

“We try to get 40. That’s been our minimum goal for each game,” Washington interim coach Brian Keefe said. “We shot it really well in the second half.”

Miami rallied with eight straight points capped by Caleb Martin’s layup with 32 seconds left that ended the Heat’s spurt.

Kuzma was called for an offensive foul, giving Miami a final possession at the possible tie or go-ahead 3-pointer. But Robinson and Butler missed 3-pointers, earning Washington the victory.

“We played their game more than we played ours,” Butler said. “An up and down pickup game, and they’re good at that. They made shots tonight and we didn’t guard and that’s the league.”

Trailing since late in the first quarter, the Wizards took the lead for good on Kuzma’s 3-pointer with 8:17 left in the fourth quarter that made it 91-90.

“We’re focused on our internal growth,” Keefe said. “That’s been the big thing – getting better every day. From each practice, each game, each shootaround.”

The Heat had won 11 of 14 before its current skid.

“We have to sustain the right level of play,” Rozier said “We’ve got to have a way that we want to play and sustain throughout the whole game.”

Patty Mills’ layup midway through the second quarter put the Heat ahead 43-32.

The Wizards rallied and narrowed it to 52-48 on Avdija’s layup with 34 seconds left before Adebayo’s driving hook gave Miami a six-point lead at the break.

The Heat were without guard Tyler Herro (right foot medial tendinitis) and forward Kevin Love (right heel bruise), who missed their eighth and sixth consecutive games, respectively.

Wizards forward Marvin Bagley III sat out his third straight because of lower back spasms, while a left toe sprain sidelined Washington forward Richaun Holmes.

Gilgeous-Alexander made 13 of 25 field goals and 9 of 11 free throws. The NBA’s No. 2 scorer was greeted with “M-V-P! M-V-P!” chants when he went to the line in the fourth quarter as he helped Oklahoma City take control.

The Thunder moved a half-game ahead of Minnesota for the West lead, with the Timberwolves falling in overtime at Cleveland.

Some of Gilgeous-Alexander’s shots were taken from awkward angles. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said the All-Star has gotten better at figuring out when to take those kinds of shots.

“The shot making is great,” Daigneault said. “He’s had the talent from day one. But what I’m most impressed with is the restraint he’s showing and the his ability to see the big picture, to leverage that talent for the good of the team while he’s still trying to accomplish individual things.”

Jalen Williams scored 15 points and Josh Giddey added 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander said his teammates deserve credit, too.

“We have guys like that across the board that do the little things that add up at the end of the night … Everybody has a role and on this team everyone takes pride and does their role to the best of their ability,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And that’s what I love about them.”

Miami rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 25 points. Jimmy Butler added 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Bam Adebayo finished with just five points, though he grabbed 10 rebounds.

Miami lost both games of its back-to-back. The Heat lost 114-108 at Dallas on Thursday night.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the team remains on track, despite the losses.

“We’ll get better from this,” Spoelstra said. “There were a lot of good things to take away. None of us want to talk about it or feel that or whatever right now because we’re competitors. But by the time we get back to Miami, even the head coach can see that there are some good things happening in our locker room.”

Miami led Oklahoma City 57-47 at halftime behind 50% shooting. Jaquez scored 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting before the break.

The Heat extended the lead to 65-51 the third quarter, but Oklahoma City erased its deficit four minutes later. Gilgeous-Alexander tied it at 65 on a free throw after a basket midway through the period. The Thunder took a 68-65 lead on a 3-pointer by Williams that Gilgeous-Alexander assisted to close out a 17-0 run.

The Thunder led 77-73 at the end of the third after holding Miami to 5-for-17 shooting in the period. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 11 points in the quarter to help Oklahoma City outscore Miami 30-16.

Gilgeous-Alexander took his usual rest to start the fourth, and Oklahoma City led 87-85 when he subbed back in with 7:16 remaining. He scored 12 points the rest of the way to keep the Thunder in control.

Daigneault said the win meant a little more than usual because of the opponent.

“They’re the competitive standard of the NBA, and so we have great respect for them and we know how much you have to earn a win against them,” Daigneault said. “So we’re really happy with that win.”

UP NEXT

Heat: Host Washington on Sunday night.

Thunder: Host Memphis on Sunday night.

Doncic matched Russell Westbrook, who had five consecutive 30-point triple-doubles in 2017 for Oklahoma City. The All-Star, who leads the league in scoring, also became the first player in history with four straight 35-point triple-doubles.

Doncic shot 12 of 24 overall and 7 of 13 on 3-pointers in 40 minutes.

Kyrie Irving added 23 points for Dallas, which snapped a three-game skid. The Mavericks trailed 101-100 before a 10-4 run that included 3-pointers by Doncic, Dante Exum and Irving.

Terry Rozier had 27 points and 11 assists for Miami, his highest-scoring game since being acquired from Charlotte in late January. Duncan Robinson scored 19 points, 14 in the first half, and Jimmy Butler finished with 14.

The Heat were 17 of 38 on 3-pointers, hitting 10 in the first half, after coming in averaging 12.4 per game. Rozier and Robinson were each 5 of 8 behind the arc.

Miami came in having won seven of eight.

The Heat hit 12 of their first 14 field-goal attempts, including the first six behind the arc, and built a 29-14 lead six minutes in. The Mavericks chipped away to tie the score at 50-all with 3:45 left in the half before Miami scored eight of the second quarter’s last dozen points to lead 58-54 at halftime — despite Butler contributing only six on 2 of 4 shooting from the floor.

Butler extended his streak of consecutive games with at least one steal and one 3-pointer to 15, the longest of his career and tying the franchise record set by Rafer Alston in 2004.

Dallas made two changes to its starting lineup, with Daniel Gafford and Derrick Jones Jr. replacing rookie Dereck Lively II and Josh Green.

UP NEXT

Heat: Complete a back-to-back at Oklahoma City on Friday.

Mavericks: At Detroit on Saturday.

Mills is hoping to win those fans over now.

The newest member of the Heat was with the team in Dallas on Thursday for his first game in a Miami uniform, after being signed one day earlier to a deal for the remainder of the season. At 35, he believes he can still bring plenty to a contender — which is why he wanted to be in Miami, and he already sees parallels between Heat culture and the way the Spurs operated during his nine years in San Antonio.

“I think where I’m at in my career and what I’ve already been able to accomplish, being a part of a culture like this, a winning environment, one goal in mind and understanding that the different aspects of people playing their part, playing their role to be able to achieve the goal, that’s definitely the backbone for me and what I’ve come from and what my values are,” Mills said. “I think there’s a lot of values there that realign with what the culture is here.”

Mills had a 14-point third quarter for the Spurs in Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals, going 4-for-4 on 3-pointers in a 4-minute span of that period and that burst pretty much ensured that the title series wouldn’t go past that night in San Antonio. The Spurs clinched the title with a 104-87 win, the last game that LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade would play together as Heat teammates.

Mills played mostly sparingly in 19 games with Atlanta off the bench this season before getting waived on Feb. 29, in time to preserve his postseason eligibility with another team. The Heat will become the fifth NBA team that Mills has played for, along with San Antonio, Portland, Brooklyn and the Hawks.

He has tons of big-game experience — 95 NBA playoff games, two trips to the NBA Finals (both with the Spurs, both against Miami), four trips to the conference finals and he’s a four-time Olympian for Australia. Mills plans to be with the Boomers for a fifth Olympic appearance this summer at the Paris Games.

“You look at it for the next few months, you know what’s on the table in terms of goals to accomplish,” Mills said. “I’m super excited about putting all the eggs in one basket over here. I’m expecting there to be a huge, huge few months coming up — starting here with the Heat and then off to Paris with the Boomers.”

The Heat valued his experience and needed some more depth at point guard after Josh Richardson — who dislocated a shoulder in a game against Boston last month — opted to have surgery this week that ended any chance of him returning before next season. Miami agreed to the deal with Mills on Tuesday, the same day it was announced Richardson would have his season-ending procedure on Wednesday.

Terry Rozier scored 17 points, Caleb Martin had 15 points and Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 11 for the Heat, who improved to 11-3 in their last 14 games.

Butler got into the lane for a score with 53 seconds left, then made a 3-pointer on the next possession to seal matters for the Heat. Butler now has at least one steal and one 3-pointer in 14 consecutive games, the longest current streak in the NBA and one game shy of tying Rafer Alston (2004) for the Heat record.

Cade Cunningham scored 23 for Detroit, which fell back into a tie with Washington for the NBA’s worst record at 9-52. Simone Fontecchio scored 22 for the Pistons, Jaden Ivey scored 16, Jalen Duren added 14 points and Isaiah Stewart scored 13.

Miami was again without Tyler Herro (foot) and Kevin Love (heel), and Josh Richardson (shoulder) remains out. Some help is on the way; the Heat agreed to terms Tuesday with veteran guard Patty Mills, with that deal likely to be finalized Wednesday.

Detroit plays nine of its next 10 games at home, including each of the next six — a stretch capped by back-to-back games against the Heat on March 15 and 17.

The teams hadn’t met since opening night of the season, a 103-102 Miami win in a game where Cunningham had a straightaway 3-pointer bounce off the rim at the buzzer. And this one was almost just as much of a nail-biter for Miami.

It was 61-60 Miami at the half. The Heat led by 10 after the first quarter, but Detroit controlled much of the second quarter and the Pistons led by as many as four in the third — before Miami peeled off 15 consecutive points.

That spurt took only 2 1/2 minutes. Rozier made a pair of 3-pointers during the run, including the one that capped the burst and put Miami up 80-69 midway through the third.

Detroit was undeterred, getting within one possession — three points or less — seven times the rest of the way. But the Pistons never got the lead back; Robinson hit a 3-pointer, Miami’s first of the fourth quarter in 10 tries, with 2:05 left for a 111-105 lead, and then Butler sealed it with five straight points in the final minute.

UP NEXT

Pistons: Host Brooklyn on Thursday night.

Heat: Visit Dallas on Thursday night.

The Heat will waive injured guard Dru Smith to make room for Mills on the roster, according to the person.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team has yet to publicly announce the moves.

Mills played in 19 games with Atlanta off the bench this season before getting waived on Feb. 29, in time to preserve his postseason eligibility with another team. The Heat will become the fifth NBA team that Mills has played for, along with San Antonio, Portland, Brooklyn and the Hawks.

His acquisition is part of a series of changes at guard by Miami in recent weeks. The Heat traded Kyle Lowry to Charlotte for Terry Rozier; Lowry ended up in Philadelphia after a buyout. The Heat also added Delon Wright last month, in part because Josh Richardson has a dislocated shoulder that could keep him sidelined for the rest of the season and will eventually need surgery.

Mills was part of the Spurs teams that played Miami in the 2013 and 2014 NBA Finals — the Heat won the first matchup in seven games, the Spurs won the next season in five games.

Mills has appeared in 95 playoff games, more than anyone else on the current Heat roster other than Jimmy Butler — who has played in 119. Kevin Love has appeared in 83 games, Bam Adebayo in 69 games.

Mills has averaged 8.9 points in his career and is a 39% shooter from 3-point range.

He is a longtime standout for Australia’s men’s national basketball team and a four-time Olympian who helped lead the Boomers to a bronze medal at the Tokyo Games three years ago — the team’s best showing ever in an Olympic or World Cup tournament.

Mills scored 42 points in that bronze-medal-clinching win over Slovenia in Japan, plus had the honor of being one of Australia’s flagbearers for the opening ceremony at that Olympics. That made Mills the first indigenous Australian to serve as a flagbearer at any Olympics.

He also donated more than $1 million to various anti-racism causes in 2020; that figure was the full amount of the salary he earned by joining the Spurs in the NBA’s restart bubble at Walt Disney World to finish that season’s pandemic-shortened schedule.

Caleb Martin had 18 points and Terry Rozier added 14 for Miami. Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. each had 12.

Keyonte George scored 31 points and Lauri Markkanen had 25 for Utah. Collin Sexton and John Collins each scored 18 points, and Taylor Hendricks finished with 13 rebounds for the Jazz.

Butler had 36 points on two occasions earlier this season. He was 3 for 3 on 3-pointers and had a steal, extending his streak of having at least one 3-pointer and one steal to 13 consecutive games — the fourth-longest streak in the NBA this season and tying Tim Hardaway for the second-longest such streak in Heat history. Rafer Alston had a 15-game run for Miami in March 2004.

It also was ethe seventh consecutive time the Heat beat Utah in Miami — all of those wins coming by single digits.

The Heat were again without Tyler Herro, who missed his fourth consecutive game; the knee issue that had kept him out is no longer a factor, but now he is sidelined with right foot tendinitis. Kevin Love was also out with a bruised right heel.

For Utah, Walker Kessler (sprained right foot) was out for the second straight game and Jordan Clarkson — the team’s third-leading scorer behind Markkanen and Sexton — was out with an illness.

The Jazz (27-34) are 11th in the Western Conference and entered the night 5 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the final play-in spot. They’re down to 21 games remaining.

Utah was 24-23 after winning in Charlotte on Jan. 27. The Jazz are 3-11 since, 0-6 away from home in that span.

It was Utah by four after one, Utah still by four at the half and the teams were tied at 90-90 going into the fourth. There were 11 ties, 21 lead changes and almost the entire game was played with the sides within single digits of each other — the Jazz had an 11-point lead in the third quarter, for all of 26 seconds.

Miami didn’t lead by more than five at any point until Martin made a 3-pointer with 2:38 left for a 117-109 lead. He left the game not long afterward after getting hit inadvertently by Butler as they jostled for a defensive rebound.

UP NEXT

Jazz: Host Washington on Monday night.

Heat: Host Detroit on Tuesday night.

Porter was 12 of 23 from the floor, including four 3-pointers, and had 11 rebounds to help the Nuggets improve to 5-0 since the All-Star break.

“Caught a little rhythm,” Porter said. “But nothing too different. We obviously need Jamal. But some shots were just falling.”

Up 16 in the fourth quarter, Denver saw Miami trim it 99-97 after a floating bank shot by Jimmy Butler with 11 seconds remaining. Nikola Jokic made two free throws to seal it in a game where the Nuggets never trailed.

Jokic finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, ending a streak of four triple-doubles. The two-time NBA MVP scored eight of Denver’s 11 points late in the fourth quarter.

“Definitely had a playoff vibe to it,” Porter said. “They play hard. They play really hard.”

This marked the first meeting between the Heat and Nuggets since they squared off in the NBA Finals last June. The Nuggets beat the Heat in five games for their first NBA crown.

Murray left just before halftime after he sprained his right ankle when he landed on Aaron Gordon’s leg after a drive to the basket. Murray tested it out but shut it down for the night, finishing with six points. He’s dealt with right hamstring and ankle ailments this season, along with shin splints.

“It’s great for him to realize being cautious right now is probably the really prudent decision,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.

With Murray out, Denver pieced together the point-guard duties with Reggie Jackson, Christian Braun and Jokic to hold off the Heat. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 18 points and Gordon 16 as the Nuggets played at home for a second straight night.

“They’re really aggressive and they are not quitting,” Jokic said about the Heat. “They know what they’re doing and it’s always hard to play against that team.”

Bam Adebayo had 22 points and Butler added 21 points for a Heat team that had won five in a row. Miami was without Kevin Love, Tyler Herro and Josh Richardson due to injuries.

“Our guys have that fortitude and grit to keep on fighting back,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “There was a little bit of a struggle offensively, and that’s a credit to their defense.”

The Heat won five of six on a trip that included two games before the All-Star break. They face the Nuggets again on March 13 at home.

“We know who we are,” Butler said. “It’s close to the most important time of the year, so we’ll be OK.”

The Nuggets held a pregame ring ceremony for suspended Heat big man Thomas Bryant, who was with Denver last season in its title run. Bryant was presented his championship ring at half-court from Caldwell-Pope in a pregame ceremony and then immediately left the arena.

The NBA made an allowance for Bryant to be on hand for the game because it was the Heat’s only visit to Denver. Suspended players are typically not allowed to be present at the arena on game nights. Bryant wrapped up a three-game suspension for his involvement in an altercation that happened during a Heat game against New Orleans last week.

UP NEXT

Heat: Host Utah on Saturday night.

Nuggets: At Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.

The six-time All-Star turned plenty of heads when he showed up sporting a new look at this season’s NBA media day in October and it appears his emo era is far from over.

Adding to his impressive on-court CV, Butler can now add music video star to his resume after appearing in Fall Out Boy’s ‘So Much (For) Stardust’ video released Wednesday.

A play on Pete Wentz’s name – Fall Out Boy’s bassist – Butler is seen as Heat Wentz in the video.

The 34-year-old forward is once again sporting what has become an iconic straightened fringe – however, this time swapping his Miami Heat uniform for a purple cowboy suit with gold detailing and gold boots.

Dancing, lip syncing and playing the guitar, Butler looks like a seasoned vet in front of the camera and this appearance will live long in the memory of NBA fans.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Butler told reporters during the NBA media day before the season tipped off. “I’m emo. This is my emotional state, I’m at one with my emotions, so this is what you get.”

Butler will switch back to his usual attire for the Heat’s next game when they face the Denver Nuggets on Thursday in a repeat of last season’s NBA Finals.

In his emo season, Butler is averaging 21.5 points to go alongside 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists.

Rozier was one of three players returning to the Miami lineup, playing in his first game since sustaining a knee injury on Feb. 11 against Boston.

“He has an ability to break the defense down, or at least get a defense to overreact,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “When you have multiple guys who are weapons like that, it’s good for your offense. I also really respect how much time he put into this to be able to get back and fast-track this.”

Added Rozier: “Just really no vacation for the (All-Star) break, trying to get back, putting in 2- or 3-a-days at a time. But I feel good. Credit to the medical staff, they did a great job of making sure I’m back and making sure I’m really fully healthy, making sure we didn’t rush nothing. I’m happy to be back.”

Butler and Nikola Jovic both made their returns after serving a one-game suspension for their roles in an on-court altercation in New Orleans on Feb. 23.

The Heat also used their 31st different starting lineup of the season, tying a franchise record. The Heat also had 31 combinations in the 2014-15 season; they needed only 58 games to match that mark this season.

Anfernee Simons scored 26 points for the Blazers, who led by 15 points. Jerami Grant had 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Portland’s Deandre Ayton did not play in the second half, being ruled out with a right hand sprain. Ayton took a hard fall after a collision with Kevin Love in the first quarter and continued playing before being pulled at half, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

“X-rays were negative. I think there will be some further testing because he was in quite a bit of pain,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “I thought (Ayton) dominated that first half. Offensively, defensively, he dominated the game.”

The Heat quickly cut into the Blazers’ 10-point halftime lead, going on an 8-0 run to cut it to 56-54.

The Heat took their first lead at 73-71 with 4:07 left in the third quarter and led 80-76 entering the final period.

Portland tied the game twice early in the fourth quarter before the Heat pushed their lead to double digits.

Butler slowly brought the Heat back in the second quarter. Butler scored five quick points to cut the Blazers’ lead to eight and then assisted on a basket to make it 33-27.

Tyler Herro missed his second straight game with a knee injury while Thomas Bryant continues to serve his three-game suspension for his role in the New Orleans incident.

Kevin Love provided a big spark with 19 points off the bench and Caleb Martin scored 16 for the Heat, who were missing three starters because of injuries or suspensions — including star Jimmy Butler.

“When you’re missing a guy like that, everybody has to step up,” Jaquez said. “He’s such a big part of our team and missing him is something that we obviously feel. But no matter, we’ve still got to play a game. Guys have to step up and we want to do it for those guys.”

Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis had 14 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists for his NBA-high 21st triple-double of the season. Sabonis also became the 10th player in league history with 40 straight double-doubles in a season.

Keegan Murray scored 28 points and De’Aaron Fox added 27 for Sacramento, but the Kings were unable to build on a big road win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday and had their three-game winning streak snapped.

“They came here and they played well both offensively and defensively,” Fox said. “We have to be better. I can’t turn the ball over like I did. But it’s not like they didn’t come in here and make tough shots.”

The key absences led to Miami’s 30th different starting lineup in the 57th game of the season. Butler, Nikola Jovic and Thomas Bryant served suspensions for their role in a fight Friday night at New Orleans. Tyler Herro (left knee), Terry Rozier (right knee), Josh Richardson (right shoulder) and Orlando Robinson (back) were out with injuries.

But that didn’t derail the Heat, who got plenty of contributions from unheralded players like Delon Wright, who scored 13 points in his Miami debut, and reserve Haywood Highsmith, who scored all 15 of his points in the first half.

The Heat withstood a 20-4 run by Sacramento spanning the first-quarter break to take a 65-62 halftime lead and just built from there.

Love scored 10 points during a 17-2 run to end the third quarter with Miami ahead 101-81.

“He just allowed us to kind of go retro Kevin Love, where we were just running our offense through him,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s so clever, physical, smart. For short stretches he’s every bit as good as he was and you saw that tonight.”

The Kings tried to mount a comeback, getting one 3-pointer from Kevin Huerter and two from Murray in less than a minute to spark a 14-1 run that cut the deficit to six midway through the fourth on a floater by Fox.

Sacramento got as close as two points on a layup by Fox with 3:41 left, but back-to-back baskets from Jaquez helped hold off the Kings.

“That’s what this group is about,” Spoelstra said. “It really became so much less about anything in the huddle or coaching. Just use your competitive spirit and figure out how to win this game.”

The incident happened during the Heat-Pelicans game Friday night.

Miami’s Thomas Bryant and New Orleans’ Jose Alvarado were both handed three-game suspensions for fighting and leaving the bench area. Miami’s Nikola Jovic also got a one-game suspension for leaving the bench area and entering the altercation, the league said.

“It felt like Jimmy shouldn’t have gotten a game on that,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Sunday at practice in Sacramento, where Miami will play on Monday. “It was really just kind of tangling and a little bit of pushing. I don’t think that deserves another game because he ended up having to miss the fourth quarter (Friday). But it is what it is. Nobody wants to see it escalate to that point.”

Butler — who did not think he should have been ejected — will lose nearly $260,000 in base salary because of his suspension. The rest of the suspensions will cost the four other players about $115,000, combined.

“I put my hand around his neck. He put his hand around my neck,” Butler said after the game of his incident with Marshall. “And it just took off the way it did.”

It started when Miami’s Kevin Love fouled New Orleans’ Zion Williamson under the Pelicans’ basket. Butler and Marshall “engaged in a physical altercation” after the foul, the league said, and Alvarado and Bryant then fought.

Alvarado, Bryant, Butler and Marshall were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game, which the Heat won 106-95.

Alvarado will miss games Sunday against Chicago, Tuesday at New York and Wednesday at Indiana. Marshall will miss Sunday’s game against the Bulls.

Butler and Jovic will not play when Miami visits Sacramento on Monday and Bryant will miss that game, along with ones Tuesday at Portland and Thursday at Denver. Bryant played for the Nuggets last season when they beat the Heat in the NBA Finals.

The Heat could be further short-handed on Monday. Guard Tyler Herro, who left late in Friday’s game after thinking he had injured his knee, was having an MRI exam on Sunday as a precaution. Herro said he expects to play either Monday or Tuesday if the MRI comes back clear.

Miami could get guard Terry Rozier back either Monday or Tuesday as well. Rozier has been out with a sprained knee but is on the cusp of returning.

He was however, gratified by the way his teammates responded during the 11 minutes that followed.

Butler had 23 points and nine rebounds before being sent to the locker room and the Heat held off the Pelicans 106-95 on Friday night before a hostile and emotionally charged crowd.

“Our team is so ready for anything that anybody’s thrown at us,” Butler said after the Heat won for the seventh time in nine games. “We’re so together, playing some incredible basketball. I don’t think it matters who we go up against right now. It’s that time of the year.”

Bam Adebayo scored 24 points for Miami, which returned from its All-Star break by beating snapping the Pelicans’ four-game winning streak in what also marked the Heat’s seventh straight victory over New Orleans.

Miami reserve Thomas Bryant, along with Pelicans players Jose Alvarado and Naji Marshall, also were ejected after the on-court melee with 11:19 to go. Even a couple fans were escorted out, one of them after throwing things at Heat players from one of the first few rows.

“You never want to see that,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about the scuffle. “Once it was all done, the response was appropriate — discipline, physicality, force, but not going over the top.”

The dust-up began when Heat center Kevin Love grabbed Zion Williamson to prevent a layup after Williamson had stolen the ball from Butler in the back court. Williamson fell to the court after Love’s foul.

“It was just, I think, a misunderstanding of the play,” Spoelstra said. “I think Zion slipped on the play when K-Love grabbed him and it looked a lot worse than what it was. And then everybody kind of overreacted.

“On K-Love’s best day, I don’t think he could throw (Williamson) down,” Spoelstra added.

When play resumed, the Pelicans briefly surged in front when rookie Jordan Hawkins’ 3 made it 91-89, but Heat reserve Haywood Highsmith quickly responded with a 3 that ignited a decisive 11-0 Miami run.

“It’s a sign of good teams that even with Jimmy out, other guys could step up and they wanted it,” Spoelstra said. “You could feel it that guys wanted to do it for Jimmy and just the context of everything was just figure out a way to finish this game.”

Duncan Robinson scored 17 points and Tyler Herro scored 15 for the Heat. Herro, however, appeared to hurt his left knee with 1:40 left and hobbled straight to the locker room after he was helped to his feet.

Williamson had 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for New Orleans, which played a second straight night without high-scoring wing Brandon Ingram (illness), and lost for just the second time in 10 games. Guard CJ McCollum also left the game in the first half with a left ankle injury after initially trying to play through it.

Pelicans coach Willie Green complimented his players’ effort and intensity.

“I love what I saw from this group; just didn’t score enough points,” Green said. “It was two competitive teams that want to win and some times you’re going to have things like that happen. No big deal.”

But Green also suggested that the Pelicans also have been a bit frustrated that officials often don’t whistle opponents for hard contact on the burly, powerful Williamson, who is listed at 285 pounds.

“I don’t think he gets a great whistle and I thought it could have been better,” Green said, adding that he’d like to see officials “be consistent across the board” in the way they handle contact involving all players.

Herb Jones scored 19 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Pelicans, who were done in by 37.5% shooting (39 of 104) — 7 of 32 (21.9%) from 3-point range.

Miami, by contrast, shot 44.8% (13 of 29) from deep and 46.3% (38 of 82) overall. New Orleans outrebounded Miami 54-46 and outscored the Heat 58-46 in the paint, but that was not enough to overcome the shooting disparity in the game.

Butler scored 17 points in the first half and gave Miami a lead as large as 19 when he tipped in Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s jump hook to make it 43-24. When Herro hit his second 3 of the game, the Heat led 55-37 with less that six minutes to go in the half.

That’s when the Pelicans suddenly locked down defensively and began a dramatic 21-3 run to close the second quarter. It started with Williamson’s free throws, followed by his putback.

Trey Murphy III, having missed his first seven shots, hit a 3 to pull the Pelicans back to 57-47. Alvarado added another from deep, followed by a reverse scoop that he spun in off the glass. Valanciunas finished the remarkable, crowd-energizing surge with a layup set up by Williamson to tie it at 58 at halftime.

UP NEXT

Heat: At Sacramento on Monday night.

Pelicans: Host Chicago on Sunday night.

“I don’t think I should have gotten thrown out of the game,” Butler said, noting that he was trying to keep Pelicans forward Naji Marshall away from Kevin Love when he put his hand on Marshall’s neck.

Heat reserve Thomas Bryant and two Pelicans — Marshall and Jose Alvarado — also were ejected after fisticuffs erupted with 11:19 left and Miami leading 84-81.

The scuffle began after Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson stole the ball from Butler, and Love grabbed Williamson to prevent an uncontested layup.

As Love was whistled for a foul, Williamson fell to the court and Marshall rushed in to object to the way Williamson was fouled.

“I wasn’t tripping about K-Love because he actually protected me on my fall,” Williamson said. “All of a sudden I see Butler kind of lunging toward Naji, so I‘m trying to get there like, ’Yo, relax, like what’s going on?’” Williamson said.

But Williamson also said the type of intensity on display during the standoff is “hard not to love.”

“It’s people competing — people riding for their teammates,” he said.

Butler suggested that Williamson flopped, adding that Williamson, “knew he shouldn’t have did that.”

“Then (Marshall) came and put his hands on K-Love and that’s how it all escalated,” Butler said.

Butler engaged Marshall and they briefly grabbed each other by the neck as teammates and coaches animatedly swarmed around them.

“It was just, I think, a misunderstanding of the play,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I think Zion slipped on the play when K-Love grabbed him and it looked a lot worse than what it was. And then everybody kind of overreacted.

“I think they interpreted that K-Love threw (Williamson) down. On K-Love’s best day, I don’t think he could throw him down.”

After it appeared that officials had managed to separate the teams, Bryant and Alvarado began bickering near the scorers’ table and exchanged blows as a new scrum formed around them.

Emotions flared in the stands as well.

A fan wearing a Pelicans jersey began throwing things at Miami players as Alvarado and Bryant scuffled and was ejected by security. Soon after, a fan wearing a Heat jersey was escorted out.

Officials reviewed video of the altercations for several minutes before deciding on the four ejections. Love was assessed a common foul.

Fans gave Marshall and Alvarado, both popular reserves known for feisty play, a standing ovation as they left the court. Marshall and Alvarado left the arena without speaking with reporters.

The altercation could result in discipline from the NBA such as fines or suspensions. But Spoelstra said the intensity on the court that led to the melee “is what competitors want. It’s what the fans want. It’s what everybody wants and sometimes it boils over unfortunately.”

“We’ll just see what happens from the league,” Spoelstra said. “Everybody’s intentions were right at first but you get a bunch of competitive people out there and it kind of boiled over.”

Butler said he would not be surprised if some of the intensity from Friday’s game carries over to the clubs’ next meeting in Miami on March 22.

“We’ll beat them the next time, too,” Butler said after the game. “We’re just a better team.

“Our team is so ready for anything that anybody’s thrown at us,” Butler added. “We’re so together, playing some incredible basketball. I don’t think it matters who we go up against right now. It’s that time of the year.”

He was back on the court Thursday — in uniform.

Wright, the brother of former Heat guard and 2006 NBA champion Dorell Wright, had his first official practice with the Heat on Thursday. He agreed to sign with the reigning Eastern Conference champions last week after being bought out by Washington and got the deal done once he cleared waivers Sunday.

“To be here now, it’s just crazy,” Wright said. “I wished that I was here earlier in my career. Growing up, watching my brother, watching (Dwyane) Wade, I already knew about the Heat culture and what to expect. I’m just happy that I’m finally here. It’s one of those surreal moments.”

Delon Wright was 12 when Dorell Wright was drafted by the Heat in 2004. He’s 31 now, and Miami — which opens its post-All-Star slate on Friday at New Orleans — is about to become the eighth NBA team he has played with, joining Toronto, Memphis, Dallas, Detroit, Sacramento, Atlanta and the Wizards.

“We feel fortunate that we were able to acquire him on a buyout,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He has a skill set that just fits us, and we’re all very familiar with him. I guess I’ve known him since he was 12. It’s crazy how fast time is going. Somebody just mentioned it yesterday in the office that they didn’t realize he was 31, and we’re like, ‘Yeah, we had Dorell 20 years ago.’ That just shows you time’s flying.”

Wright had the endorsement of Heat assistant coach Wayne Ellington, who was teammates with him with the Pistons. And Spoelstra’s interest may have been piqued last month when former Heat players like Quentin Richardson gathered in Miami for Udonis Haslem’s jersey retirement celebrations.

Richardson suggested that Delon Wright would be an ideal Heat player. Dorell Wright — who Delon Wright said is probably as excited about his brother signing with the Heat as anyone — agreed. There was talk of trading for him, though that never materialized. Things fell into place when the buyout was agreed to and the Heat needing help after guard Josh Richardson dislocated his shoulder earlier this month.

Richardson’s status is unknown. Wright — a defensive pest and solid playmaker — seems like the candidate who’ll slide into his role in the Heat backcourt, at least for now. He had averaged only 2.6 points and 8.2 minutes in his last 12 appearances with the Wizards, and his role in Washington seemed to be further diminishing in his final four games there.

“Playing two minutes, three minutes on a team that’s not really trying to win to now, playing for something, yeah, I’m definitely re-energized,” Wright said. “I’m just ready to play, ready to compete. That’s the best way I can explain it. I’m just excited. It’s Miami.”

Alonzo Mourning and Glen Rice met with students and mentors on Wednesday for a memorable field trip to the Historic Black Police Precinct Courthouse and Museum.

Mourning said it is crucial for children growing up in Miami-Dade County to know their history.

“When you think about the pioneers of this city, you know, you think about people in our Black communities that played a significant role in the development of this city, it’s important for our kids to know where they’ve come from,” he said.

The field trip was part of the Miami Heat’s School to Work program, which pairs Heat employees with students to help them prepare for college and future employment.

Adebayo was announced Saturday as the replacement for Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid in the Eastern Conference starting lineup for Sunday night’s NBA All-Star Game. Embiid — the reigning MVP and two-time defending scoring champion — is missing the game because of a knee injury.

Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers, who will lead the East team in the All-Star Game, made the selection and informed Adebayo on Saturday morning. Adebayo said the conversation was brief and direct: “He walked in and was like, ‘Bam, you’re starting,’” he said.

“It’s going to be a dope experience,” Adebayo said. “Just going to really cherish that moment and thankful to God and all the people who support me through all the ups and downs. We’ve added something new to our list.”

Adebayo made the All-Star team this season as a reserve selected by coaches, just as he did in 2020 — when he also won the skills competition at All-Star weekend — and 2023. He’ll become the seventh player to be an All-Star starter as a member of the Heat and the first since Dwyane Wade in 2016.

Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Alonzo Mourning and Anthony Mason also were All-Star starters as members of the Heat. Mason was an injury replacement for Grant Hill in 2001; Bosh was an injury replacement for Rajon Rondo in 2013.

“My lineup decision was easy,” Rivers said. “I looked at Big Joel out, what other (center) do we have on the team, and Bam got the honor. It’s good for him, too. It’s funny, I told him in locker room. He didn’t know. I thought he knew because I told the league yesterday that he did know. You could tell he was very happy about it.”

Adebayo — a member of the U.S. Olympic team that won gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and someone expected to be part of the team that will seek a fifth consecutive gold medal at the Paris Olympics this summer — is a four-time All-Defensive team member. He has finished no worse than fifth in the defensive player of the year voting in each of the last four seasons.

Adebayo is averaging 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1 block per game this season, his seventh with the Heat and his first as Miami’s captain. No Heat player has ever finished a season with all those averages and only two other players are averaging at least that much in all five categories this season — Embiid and Milwaukee All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Wright’s intention is to be with the Heat when they resume practice after the All-Star break, said the person.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move is still pending.

ESPN first reported the buyout and Wright’s intention to join the Heat.

Miami would be the eighth team for Wright, whose older brother Dorell Wright was part of the Heat team that won the 2006 NBA championship. Delon Wright’s signing will also provide the Heat with some insurance, with guard Josh Richardson’s status unclear after he dislocated his shoulder against Boston on Sunday.

Wright averaged 4.1 points this season for Washington. He’s averaged 7 points on 35% shooting from 3-point range over his 494-game regular season career with Toronto, Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Sacramento, Memphis and the Wizards.

Adbebayo’s thundering dunk capped off a 10-2 run in the fourth quarter that gave Miami a lead it never relinquished.

Tyler Herro also had 23 points, and Duncan Robinson added 20 in the Heat’s second victory in two nights and fourth in five games. Miami won at Milwaukee on Tuesday night

“You always want to go into the All-Star break on a good note,” Adebayo said. “To get two signature wins like that, it shows that if we believe we can do it, we can get stuff done. Even if we don’t have a lot of guys.”

Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points for Philadelphia. Buddy Heild had 22 points and 10 assists, and Paul Reed, filling in for the injured Joel Embiid (left knee meniscus procedure), added 18 points and 12 rebounds.

The game was back and forth from start to finish with 21 lead changes and 15 ties.

“We wanted to make it ugly, honestly,” Herro said. “Just figure out a way how we can get ourselves in a position to win the game at the end. And we did that. We made a few more plays than they did in the fourth quarter and were able to get the win.”

With Miami down a point, Haywood Highsmith hit a 3-pointer, Herro made a running layup, Robinson hit another 3-pointer and Adebayo had the dunk on four straight fourth quarter possessions for Miami.

“I was encouraged to see the commitment to do the tougher things defensively and I saw a lot of those plays in the last six minutes of the game,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Maxey briefly left the court hobbled after Reed stepped on his ankle, and the Heat took a one-point lead after three quarters. Maxey returned for the fourth quarter, but Philadelphia missed six of seven shots and had two turnovers.

“We turned down a couple of open threes and tried to drive but it was a tough drive because Bam was sitting underneath the basket the whole game,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said. “You’re going to have to go finish after you beat your guy. You have to go finish over him in some fashion.”

The 76ers were able to close within three points in the final minute, but the Heat withstood the push, making their final three baskets on second chance plays after getting an offensive rebound.

“People just want to see big individual scoring nights,” Spoelstra said. “But those are winning plays. Those extra possessions were huge for us.”

Kyle Lowry, who signed with Philadelphia on Tuesday and played for the Heat earlier this season, was unavailable.

Philadelphia also played without Nico Batum (left hamstring strain), Robert Covington (left knee bone bruise), Tobias Harris (left hip impingement) and De’Anthony Melton (back; lumbar spine stress response).

Miami was without Jimmy Butler (personal reasons), Josh Richardson (right shoulder dislocation), Terry Rozier (right knee sprain) and Dru Smith (right knee surgery).

The club has granted Butler a leave of absence after the death of a family member. It has not been determined how long Butler will be away from the team, which has games at Milwaukee and Philadelphia this week before the All-Star break.

“Jimmy and his family ask for privacy at this point in time as they navigate this loss,” said a statement released by the Heat from his agent, Bernie Lee.

Injuries have limited the 34-year-old Butler, who leads the Heat in scoring at 21 points per game, to 37 games this season.

Kristaps Porzingis had 25 points, Jaylen Brown had 20 points and Jrue Holiday scored 15 for Boston, which hit 16 of 39 3-point attempts.

“Today was fun, we have a lot of history with this team. Last time we came here we smacked them, so we knew it would be a closer game,” Tatum said of Boston’s 33-point win in Miami Jan. 25. “They came to play and we enjoy being part of games like that. Everybody’s being competitive.”

The Celtics have won all three matchups with the Heat this season and have won six of the last seven games against them. The loss came in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last season, when Boston forced the deciding game after losing the first three.

“Late-game execution, you’ve got to set the table,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I think our guys did that.”

Tyler Herro had 22 of his 24 points in the second half, Bam Adebayo scored 22 and Duncan Robinson and Caleb Martin finished with 15 points each for the Heat — who were short-handed to start the game and even more so by the end.

The Heat were without leading scorer Jimmy Butler, who was granted a leave of absence because of the death of a family member.

Miami lost Terry Rozier and Josh Richardson to injuries. Rozier, who finished with 13 points, landed awkwardly on his right leg after driving to the basket midway through the third quarter, clearly favoring his knee. Both players will have MRI exams on Monday, coach Erik Spoelstra said.

“It’s tough to see guys like that go down,” Robinson said. “And then Jimmy dealing with what he’s dealing with is unfortunate, to put it lightly.”

Richardson exited in the second quarter because of a right shoulder injury. He slumped to the floor in pain after his unsuccessful attempt to strip Tatum of the ball.

“I felt my shoulder pop out on the floor and then it popped back in laying on the ground, so thank goodness for that,” Richardson said. “I’ll know more tomorrow.”

Robinson also favored his left shoulder after Brown pushed him off into the stands when both tangled for position early in the fourth quarter. Brown and Robinson exchanged words and Brown was assessed a flagrant 1 foul while Robinson got called for a personal foul.

“I just thought it was a dirty play, to be honest with you. … Just thought it was dangerous, unnecessary and excessive,” Robinson said.

Brown considered it two teams playing hard.

“There was no issue from me. I think he knew exactly what he was trying to do, trying to get tangled up,” Brown said. “(The official) called the foul but he was still trying to hang on.”

Miami rallied from a 15-point deficit in the third quarter and cut it to 106-104 on Herro’s 3-pointer with 1:49 remaining. But Porzingis and Tatum each converted two free throws to secure the win.

“I thought our group showed a tremendous amount of grit in that second half,” Spoelstra said. “There were a lot of things that weren’t necessarily going our way, including the injuries. To really fight and claw back and get this game on the ropes, it’s a credit to how hard guys were playing.”

UP NEXT

Celtics: Visit Brooklyn on Tuesday night.

Heat: Begin a six-game road stretch at Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

The injured man, police said, needed a partial amputation of a leg and had other fractures and possible fractures. It was about 11:20 p.m. Tuesday when the injured man was trying to push the disabled vehicle — which did not have lights on — out of the way of traffic when Highsmith drove into him, police said.

Highsmith was ticketed for careless driving, Miami-Dade Police said.

“Haywood struck a pedestrian pushing a disabled car without lights on down the middle of a dark road,” Highsmith’s agent, Jerry Dianis, said Thursday night.

The statement from Highsmith’s agent goes on to say:

“Haywood immediately rushed to help the person pushing the car who had been injured. A tourniquet was applied to the injuries by a bystander, and Haywood stayed on the scene, continuously talking to the injured man, offering words of comfort until an ambulance took him to the hospital.”

Jerry Dianis

Police said Highsmith was traveling at about 45 mph in a 40 mph zone. Police said Highsmith was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol and was uninjured.

Highsmith was going home after Miami’s game against Orlando on Tuesday night when the accident happened near the intersection of Southwest 136th Street and 138th Avenue.

Highsmith was not with the Heat for their game Wednesday night against San Antonio. The team said he was out for personal reasons.

“This was an unfortunate accident,” Dianis said. “We have been notified that the person sustained significant injuries but is in stable condition. Haywood and his family are praying for him. Haywood is of course shaken by this and appreciates the support and prayers he has received from the Miami Heat and fans.”

It is unclear when Highsmith will return to game action. The Heat do not play again until facing Boston on Sunday. “Our hearts go out to those who were injured,” the team said in a release Wednesday.

Highsmith is averaging 5.8 points this season.

Butler finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, Tyler Herro led the way with 24 points and the Miami Heat pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the San Antonio Spurs 116-104 on Wednesday night.

“My focus is always to win,” Butler said.

Butler’s most recent triple-double was Jan. 29, 2022, but he keyed a late surge that turned a one-point game entering the fourth into a 19-point Heat lead. Bam Adebayo added 20 points for Miami.

Tre Jones and Devin Vassell each scored 19 points and Victor Wembanyana finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Spurs. San Antonio started its day with a shootaround practice at a Miami Beach school, surprising the boys and girls varsity teams there by letting them watch the last few minutes.

“Any time we can make some kids happy by letting them see practices, it costs us nothing, it makes their day or their week or their month,” Wembanyama said. “Small gestures like that, it’s always fun for them, especially also for us.”

Wembanyama got his 25th double-double of the season, by far the most among this season’s rookie class — Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren has 13 for No. 2 on the list — and the most by a first-year player since Deandre Ayton had 39 and Trae Young had 30 in the 2018-19 campaign.

It was close for the first three quarters, neither team leading by more than eight points at any time in the game’s first 36 minutes. Each of the first three quarters wound up being decided by a single point — Miami won the first 32-31 and the second 21-20, San Antonio won the third 26-25.

But in the fourth, the Heat quickly opened some breathing room. Butler found Adebayo with a fast-break lob for a dunk and the night’s first double-digit lead at 89-79, part of a 14-4 Miami run to open the final quarter.

“Their culture, it’s inspiring,” Wembanyama said. “The fact we could hold them for more than three quarters, it also shows some progress from our side.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, along with a slew of Miami assistants and players such as Adebayo and former San Antonio guard Josh Richardson, exchanged plenty of postgame pleasantries.

“Spo’s fantastic,” Popovich said. “Bam’s fantastic. … To see those guys after the game and wish them well, it’s a thrill.”

It was the first of nine consecutive road games for the Spurs — the annual rodeo trip that awaits San Antonio around this time every year. The 75th annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo formally starts Thursday and runs through Feb. 25 at the arena that the Spurs call home.

The team will go nearly four weeks without a home game, though the All-Star break essentially turns a marathon trip into a pair of much more manageable road swings. The game in Miami started a five-game trip that runs through Feb. 14 in Dallas, and after the break, the Spurs resume play at Sacramento on Feb. 22 to begin a four-game road run.

“It’s not actually too bad,” Jones said. “But the whole month on the road is definitely a little bit of a struggle.”

UP NEXT

Spurs: Visit Orlando on Thursday night.

Heat: Host Boston on Sunday afternoon.

Standing at 6 feet, 5 inches tall, Highsmith, an important part of the Heat’s rotation, was not with his teammates during Wednesday night’s game at the Kaseya Center in downtown Miami.

His absence might be related to what happened on Tuesday night, after he left the Kaseya Center following the Heat’s 121-95 win against the Orlando Magic.

Wednesday night, the Heat released a statement that reads in part:

“We have been made aware that Highsmith was involved in a car accident heading home from last night’s game… Our hearts go out to those who were injured.”

Statement from Miami Heat

Published reports indicate Highsmith crashed into someone who was helping another person on the road, critically injuring the victim, who had to have their leg partially amputated.

Reports state Highsmith was not injured, and as of Wednesday, he has not been charged.

Before Wednesday night’s home game with the Spurs, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra took the podium.

“We’re focused on our defensive identity,” he said.

However, Spoelstra said nothing about Highsmith’s absence or the devastating wreck. Media members were also warned not to ask about the incident.

The Heat won Wednesday’s game, defeating the Spurs 116-104.

Highsmith was listed as out on Wednesday for personal reasons. No timetable has been specified for his return to the team.

As of late Wednesday night, it remains unclear where the crash took place, the number of victims and their conditions.

7News reached out to Miami-Dade Police, City of Miami Police and the Florida Highway Patrol. Officials with all three law enforcement agencies said they were not involved in Tuesday night’s crash and did not respond to it.

That’s all he needed to go on a personal 8-0 run — a stepback 3-pointer from the right corner, an all-alone 3-pointer from the left wing and then a jumper in the lane — midway through the fourth quarter, and the Miami Heat ran away from there for a 121-95 win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night.

Butler finished with 23 points to lead seven Miami players in double figures, plus added eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals for the Heat — who won for just the second time in their last seven home games. Terry Rozier scored 18 while Tyler Herro and All-Star Bam Adebayo each scored 14 for Miami.

“Overall, that’s a quality win against a very good opponent,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The Heat outscored Orlando by 32 points with Adebayo on the floor, the second-highest plus-minus for a Miami player this season.

“Bam was a monster,” Spoelstra said.

All-Star forward Paolo Banchero scored 23 for Orlando, the 18th consecutive road game in which he’s scored at least 20 points — tying Tracy McGrady for the second-longest such streak in Magic history. McGrady also has the longest streak, a 21-game run in the 2003-04 season.

Wendell Carter Jr. scored 15, while Markelle Fultz and Franz Wagner scored 13 apiece for Orlando.

The Heat, who had lost eight of their last 10 games, never trailed Tuesday and pulled into a tie with the Magic atop the Southeast Division with identical 27-24 records.

But Miami won the season series 3-1, big in case that tiebreaker comes into play for playoff seeding.

“I love the fact that it is becoming a rivalry and that we can rekindle that,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said.

It sure looked like Miami took the rivalry seriously.

“We know how important that was,” Rozier said.

Miami led by 20 points in the second quarter — only the second time in a span of 38 games that the Heat had such a big lead before halftime. Miami led Charlotte by 24 on Jan. 14; before that, the last Heat lead of 20 or more before halftime was Nov. 18 against Chicago.

It all sounded good, for a few minutes anyway.

By halftime, the 20-point lead was down to seven; 53-33 became 56-49 in a flash. Orlando closed the half on a 16-3 run, Banchero leading the way with six of those points, and Miami missed six of its final seven shots.

The Magic got within five early in the third, but the Heat ran away in the rest of the period and took a 96-75 edge into the fourth. The closest Orlando got in the fourth was 10, and that’s when Butler scored his eight consecutive points to put the game away.

UP NEXT

Magic: Host San Antonio on Thursday night.

Heat: Host San Antonio on Wednesday night.

Harden flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 11 assists and eight assists. Norman Powell scored 16 points and Paul George added 11 for the Clippers. They are 25-5 since the start of December — by far the best record in the NBA over that span.

Jimmy Butler scored 21 points and Terry Rozier finished with 17 for the Heat. They have lost eight of their last 10.

Bam Adebayo and Josh Richardson each had 14 points for the Heat. Adebayo grabbed 13 rebounds and Caleb Martin scored 11 points for Miami, which played without its two best 3-point shooters. Duncan Robinson remains in the NBA’s concussion protocols and Tyler Herro was slated to start Sunday, then was a very late scratch after being diagnosed with a migraine.

Miami was held under 100 points for the 12th time this season. The Heat are 2-10 in those games; only Portland and Charlotte have more such games this season.

The Clippers improved to 5-1 in their seven-game, 11-day trip necessitated because the arena where they and the Los Angeles Lakers play their home games was taken over by Sunday night’s Grammy Awards. The trip ends Monday in Atlanta, and then the Clippers get a three-game homestand before going to Golden State in their finale before the All-Star break.

The Clippers had seven points through seven minutes — matching their second-slowest start of the season — and the Heat still couldn’t take advantage. Miami briefly led by 11 in the opening quarter before the teams went into halftime tied 43-43.

The teams combined for seven first-half fouls, the fewest in any NBA game this season. The 43 points was a season-low for the Clippers and tied the third-fewest by halftime for the Heat. And the 86 combined points by the break was the sixth-fewest out of more than 700 games played so far this season.

UP NEXT

Clippers: Visit Atlanta on Monday night.

Heat: Host Orlando on Tuesday night.

Butler went 7 of 10 from the floor and hit his only 3-point attempt a day after the six-time All-Star — who has missed 15 games this season — was left off this year’s Eastern Conference reserves.

His efficiency was needed on a night the Heat shot 43.2% from the floor and only 7 of 31 from 3-point range.

Adebayo posted his 25th double-double of the season a day after he earned reserve All-Star honors to help Miami win its second straight after a seven-game slide. Kevin Love added 13 points and 10 rebounds in only 15 minutes.

Corey Kispert scored a season-high 26 points as Washington sank to 2-3 under interim coach Brian Keefe since he replaced Wes Unseld Jr.

Jordan Poole had 16 points and 10 assists, and Daniel Gafford added 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Wizards, who were outscored by 16 in the third quarter. Washington was outscored by 21 in the same period by the Los Angeles Clippers in a loss Wednesday night.

Miami took its first lead on Terry Rozier III’s free throws early in the third, then took control with a 21-6 run to end the period.

Butler’s free throws — manufactured by throwing the ball toward the rim when he felt contact from Kyle Kuzma — gave the Heat the lead for good.

Love’s second 3-pointer over Kispert stretched the lead to eight, Jamie Jaquez Jr.’s layup made it 10, and Tyler Herro’s 3-pointer made it 87-74 moments before the quarter ended.

The Wizards had an 18-4 run late in the fourth but failed to make it a one possession game when Poole missed his second of two free throws with 31 seconds left.

UP NEXT

Heat: Host LA Clippers on Sunday night.

Wizards: Host Phoenix on Sunday night.

Butler shot 10 of 14 from the field and had seven rebounds for the Heat, who ended their longest losing streak since dropping 15 straight during the 2007-08 season.

Josh Richardson was 6 of 10 from 3-point range and finished with a season-high 24 points. Bam Adebayo added 16 points and 11 rebounds. Tyler Herro was Miami’s fourth double-figure scorer with 14 points.

“Just remember that we are very fortunate to have a job that we get to hoop, that we get to play before so many great fans,” Butler said of how the Heat approached the skid-ending performance. “We lost control of that for a little bit, the sight that this isn’t as difficult. It could be a lot worse.”

The Heat finished with a season-high 38 assists in their 1,500th regular-season victory.

“The group poured a lot into the last 24 hours,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Poured into this process, poured into each other, poured into the solutions. I commend the group because in this day and age and in pro sports, it is tough to do that.”

Terry Rozier shot 1 of 8 from the field, but had 10 assists in his fifth game since Miami acquired him in a trade with Charlotte.

Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis had 19 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists for his 13th triple-double of the season. It was also Sabonis’ 29th consecutive game with at least a double-double, putting him two behind Oscar Robertson’s franchise record set in 1961.

Keegan Murray scored 33 points, Kevin Huerter had 14 and De’Aaron added 13 for the Kings, who have not won in Miami since October 2018.

“Bottom line – give the Heat a lot of credit,” Sacramento coach Mike Brown said. “I thought they outworked us tonight. They were just relentless pursuing the 50-50 balls and that tells a lot about what happened throughout the course of the game.”

The game was finished with two officials after referee Brandon Adair didn’t work the second half because of an injury.

Consecutive 3-pointers from Herro and Butler midway through the third period put the Heat ahead for good at 73-70. Richardson’s fifth 3-pointer with 4:28 remaining in the fourth quarter increased the lead to 106-93.

Murray shot 7 of 11 on 3-pointers, but the Kings finished 12 of 40 from long range.

“We’re getting open looks and sometimes they just don’t go down,” Murray said. “It’s human nature sometimes.”

Down 18 midway through the second quarter, Sacramento closed the first half on a 24-10 spurt and got within four at 59-55 at the break. Sabonis scored seven consecutive points and Murray made two 3-pointers during the surge.

Richardson had 11 points, including three 3-pointers, that keyed the Heat’s 49-31 lead to start the second period.

Miami forward Duncan Robinson is in concussion protocol and didn’t play. Robinson fell ill early during Monday’s loss against Phoenix and didn’t return.

Robinson’s absence provided Richardson with extended minutes off the bench.

“In warmups, my shots felt really good but once I got going in the game it felt like let it fly,” Richardson said.

UP NEXT

Kings: Visit Indiana on Friday.

Heat: Visit Washington on Friday.

Eric Gordon scored 23 points off the bench, Devin Booker scored 22 and the Suns added to Miami’s woes with a 118-105 win Monday night, handing the Heat their seventh consecutive loss.

Kevin Durant scored 20 and Bradley Beal had 19 for the Suns, who are 8-2 in their last 10 games and swept the Heat for just the second time in the last 17 seasons. The other was 2020-21, when Phoenix made the NBA Finals.

“Trying to get wins, that’s the name of the game,” Booker said after the Suns got a split of their Florida back-to-back following a Sunday night loss in Orlando. “We have some things to figure out defensively and we’ll do that. This was a good win today, on a back-to-back, against a really good team.”

Booker, Durant and Beal each had seven assists for Phoenix, which led by as many as 28 and took a 100-74 lead into the final quarter. The Suns — the NBA’s worst team in terms of fourth-quarter point differential — saw the lead get cut to 115-105 with 1:33 left, but Miami didn’t score again.

Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 26 points for Miami, which was 24-16 and fifth in the Eastern Conference just two weeks ago. The Heat are now 24-23 and mired in the play-in tournament range, three games behind Indiana in the loss column for the sixth and final guaranteed playoff berth.

Terry Rozier scored 21 and Tyler Herro had 17 for Miami.

“I just want to see the effort, the toughness, the physicality, the force, the multiple efforts to get through this to see what’s on the other side,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We know that there’s something that potentially can be great on the other side. But you got to go through it. You’ve got to go through the fires together and these uncomfortable times together.”

Beal played with a mask to protect his broken nose. The Suns lost starter Grayson Allen in the first half to a sprained right ankle. Suns coach Frank Vogel said X-rays were negative.

Phoenix got 48 bench points.

“Proud of those guys,” Vogel said. “That’s what it should look like on the second night of a back-to-back.”

It’s the first seven-game losing streak for Miami since a seven-game slide late in the 2007-08 season, the season before Spoelstra took over for Pat Riley. That ’07-08 team — which finished 15-67 and, to put it charitably, wasn’t exactly trying to win a lot of games — had four such streaks of seven or more losses that season.

Before that, the last time a Miami team lost seven straight was the start of the 2003-04 season, when Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem were rookies. That team went on to make the Eastern Conference semifinals.

There have been plenty of teams that lost seven games — or more — in a row and made the playoffs. But none of those has gone on to win a playoff series since Portland in 2016. And no team has ever lost seven consecutive games in what became a championship season; four eventual champions lost six in a row on their way to the title, most recently when Dallas topped Miami in 2011.

“We have to get over this hurdle,” Spoelstra said, “one way or another.”

UP NEXT

Suns: Visit Brooklyn on Wednesday.

Heat: Host Sacramento on Wednesday.