Five-time All-Star Jimmy Butler — playing against the team that traded him last year — scored a season-high 38 points in just 29 minutes to lead the host Miami Heat past the Philadelphia 76ers 137-106 on Monday night.
It was the second-highest-scoring regulation game in Heat history. Miami shot 56.5 percent from the floor, including 16 of 32 on 3-point attempts.
Goran Dragic added 24 points and six assists, and Bam Adebayo had 18 points, a game-high 11 assists and eight rebounds for Miami. Heat starting power forward Meyers Leonard (sprained left ankle) and backup shooting guard Tyler Herro (right foot) left with injuries and did not return. The 76ers were led by Joel Embiid, who had 29 points and 12 rebounds. Fellow All-Star Ben Simmons added 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Mike Scott added 17 points off the bench, but Philadelphia fell for the 10th time in its past 12 road games.
Los Angeles Clippers 108 – San Antonio Spurs 105
Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points and Paul George had 19, leading Los Angeles to a come-from-behind win over visiting San Antonio.
Leonard, who also had seven assists and six rebounds, had scored at least 30 points in each of his previous nine contests. George finished with game highs in rebounds (12) and assists (eight).
LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 27 points and nine rebounds while DeMar DeRozan had 26 points. Patty Mills had 18 points off the bench, and Trey Lyles scored 10 for San Antonio, which led by 15 points in the second quarter.
Sacramento Kings 113 – Minnesota Timberwolves 109
De’Aaron Fox scored 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting to help Sacramento post a victory over visiting Minnesota.
Bogdan Bogdanovic added 23 points and Buddy Hield tallied 16 off the bench for the Kings. Harrison Barnes had 14 points and seven assists, and Nemanja Bjelica scored 12 points for Sacramento, which never trailed while winning for the fourth time in the past six games.
Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Timberwolves. Minnesota’s Shabazz Napier had 17 points and seven assists, and Robert Covington scored 15 points.
Dallas Mavericks 112 – Indiana Pacers 103
Kristaps Porzingis recorded season highs in both points (38) and 3-pointers (six) as Dallas posted a victory over Indiana in Indianapolis.
Porzingis added 12 rebounds and sank all 12 free-throw attempts en route to surpassing his previous season-high point total of 35. Tim Hardaway Jr. had 25 points and Dorian Finney-Smith added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks, who improved to 17-7 on the road.
Domantas Sabonis collected 26 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for the Pacers, who have dropped three of their past four games on the heels of winning seven of their previous eight.
Orlando Magic 112 – Charlotte Hornets 100
Nikola Vucevic scored 22 points as Orlando snapped a five-game losing streak by defeating host Charlotte. The Hornets were the last team that Orlando had beaten, on Jan. 20 in Charlotte.
Evan Fournier racked up 17 points while Aaron Gordon had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Magic, which shot 53.8 percent from the field. Orlando had assists on 35 of 43 baskets, helping the team reach the 100-point mark for the first time in five games.
Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 18 points. Cody Zeller had 17 points, Miles Bridges scored 16 and Devonte’ Graham had 15.
New York Knicks 139 – Cleveland Cavaliers 134 (OT)
Marcus Morris Sr. came up big down the stretch when he scored 16 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as visiting New York overcame a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to outlast Cleveland.
Elfrid Payton (17 points, 15 assists, 11 rebounds) had the first triple-double of the season for the Knicks, who have won two straight — just their third winning streak of the season. Julius Randle scored 20 points while Dennis Smith Jr. (15 points), Bobby Portis (12) and Kevin Knox II (12) each got into double digits off the bench.
Kevin Love scored a season-high 33 points for the Cavaliers, who have lost 11 of their past 12 overall. Collin Sexton scored 29 points while Larry Nance Jr. had 18 and Cedi Osman 15. Darius Garland added 14 points and reserve Kevin Porter Jr. had 12.
Golden State Warriors 125 – Washington Wizards 117
Alec Burks scored a team-high 30 points, including a key layup that stalled a Washington rally with 4:05 to play, as Golden State held off the host Wizards for a second straight win.
Glenn Robinson had 22 points and Baltimore native Damion Lee had 19 as the Warriors followed up on a win at Cleveland with another high-scoring performance, this one without D’Angelo Russell, who sustained a right quad injury in the victory over the Cavaliers.
Bradley Beal continued his recent surge with a game-high 43 points for Washington, who had won two straight to begin a four-game homestand.
Boston Celtics 123 – Atlanta Hawks 115
Jayson Tatum scored 15 of his team-high 28 points in the third quarter as visiting Boston took control of the game en route to a win over Atlanta.
Tatum was 10 of 20 from the field with five 3-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds. He was one of three Celtics with more than 20 points, joining Gordon Hayward with (24) and Jaylen Brown (21). Hayward added seven rebounds and six assists.
Atlanta was led by Trae Young with 34 points and seven assists. However, Young committed nine turnovers, including one with a minute left when the Hawks were down by four.
Memphis Grizzlies 96 – Detroit Pistons 82
Jonas Valanciunas had 26 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks as Memphis pulled away from visiting Detroit.
Valanciunas made 13 of 19 field-goal attempts. Dillon Brooks contributed 15 points and five assists as the Grizzlies swept the two-game season series after winning in Detroit last month.
Andre Drummond led the Pistons with 25 points, 18 rebounds and four assists, but his team was limited to 29 second-half points. Christian Wood and Langston Galloway scored 17 points apiece off the bench.
Brooklyn Nets 119 – Phoenix Suns 97
Caris LeVert tied a career high with 29 points, and Brooklyn took control in the third quarter en route a victory over Phoenix in New York.
LeVert made 10 of 20 shots, hit all seven free-throws attempts and also handed out a season-high seven assists as the Nets won for the fourth time in six games. Brooklyn was playing without Kyrie Irving (sprained right knee), who is sidelined for at least a week.
Brooklyn’s Joe Harris added 16 points after announcing he will defend his 3-point shootout title at All-Star weekend in Chicago. Deandre Ayton collected 25 points and 17 rebounds for Phoenix, which lost for the sixth time in eight games.
—Field Level Media
