MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored a Miami playoff record 56 points, and the Heat roared back from 14 points down in the final quarter to stun the Milwaukee Bucks 119-114 on Monday night to put the NBA’s top overall seed on the brink of early elimination.
The 56 points also became Butler’s career high. He was 19 for 28 from the field, 15 of 18 from the foul line and added nine rebounds for eighth-seeded Miami — which took a 3-1 lead over the Bucks in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Bam Adebayo scored 15, Caleb Martin had 12 and Gabe Vincent scored 10 for the Heat.
Game 5 is at Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Brook Lopez scored 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a two-game absence with a bruised back and had a triple-double — 26 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists.
LAKERS 117, GRIZZLIES 111, OT
LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James made the tying layup with 0.8 seconds left in regulation before scoring four of his 22 points in overtime, and the Lakers surged to a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series with a victory over the Grizzlies.
The 38-year-old James also grabbed a career playoff-high 20 rebounds and added seven assists and two blocked shots while committing just one turnover in his 270th playoff game, extending his own NBA record. He became the first Lakers player to put up 20 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game since Shaquille O’Neal in 2004.
Austin Reaves scored 23 points and Anthony Davis had five of his 12 points in overtime for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who are on the brink of their first playoff series victory outside the Florida bubble since 2012.
Los Angeles surged back from a seven-point deficit with five minutes left in regulation with a rally that abruptly began when D’Angelo Russell hit three consecutive 3-pointers, and the Lakers never trailed in OT.
Desmond Bane scored 36 points and hit a tiebreaking layup with 6.7 seconds left in regulation for the second-seeded Grizzlies, who will have to rally from a 3-1 series deficit and win a Game 7 for the first time in franchise history to advance.
Ja Morant scored 19 points with his injured right hand, but Davis blocked his jumper at the regulation buzzer.
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The Associated Press
