PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro each scored 24 points and the Miami Heat kept alive their hopes of avoiding the NBA’s play-in tournament with a 129-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.
Max Strus and Bam Adebayo both added 14 points. Miami started fast, leading 41-31 after a quarter and recorded 39 assists, tying the franchise record for most in a game originally set on Feb. 15, 1997, against Philadelphia.
The Heat (43-37) would have to win both of their remaining games (at Washington and home against Orlando) and have Brooklyn lose both home games this weekend (to Orlando and Philadelphia) to move into the No. 6 spot and avoid the play-in round. Miami took the Southeast Division title with the win.
Philadelphia (52-27) has already secured the third spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. A win Thursday night would have sealed a first-round matchup against Brooklyn. Joel Embiid scored 21 points despite not playing in the fourth quarter. James Harden chipped in 14 in limited minutes.
SUNS 119, NUGGETS 115
PHOENIX (AP) — Chris Paul made a career-high seven 3-pointers and Phoenix won its season-best seventh game in a row, holding off short-handed Denver.
Kevin Durant added six 3s and led the Suns with 29 points, while Paul scored 25. Durant also had seven rebounds.
Devin Booker made just 3 of 12 shots, but still scored 15 as he was 8 for 8 from the free throw line. Booker also had eight assists, while Deandre Ayton scored 16 points and reserve Torrey Craig had 11.
Bruce Brown led Denver (52-28), playing without all five starters, with 31 points on 11-of-18 shooting. Reggie Jackson had 20 points and six assists, while DeAndre Jordan had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
THUNDER 114, JAZZ 98
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points and Oklahoma City strengthened its hopes of reaching the play-in tournament with a victory over short-handed Utah.
Josh Giddey had 17 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, while Aaron Wiggins scored 15 for the Thunder, who snapped a three-game losing streak. They are 10th in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of Dallas with one game remaining.
Kris Dunn had 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Jazz, who were eliminated from postseason contention.
CAVALIERS 118, MAGIC 94
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Danny Green scored 21 points, Cedi Osman added 19 and Cleveland beat Orlando in a game in which both teams rested their starters.
Isaiah Mobley came off the bench with 18 points for the Cavaliers, who had clinched the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs by beating the Magic on Tuesday night.
Jalen Suggs led the Magic with 22 points in their home finale. Bol Bol added 18 points and eight rebounds in his first start since Dec. 30.
The 35-year-old Green, who signed as a free agent with the Cavaliers on Feb. 14 after being waived by Houston, played 26 minutes and shot 5 for 9 from behind the arc.
SPURS 129, TRAIL BLAZERS 127
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Keita Bates-Diop had 25 points, Julian Champagnie and Keldon Johnson each added 24 and San Antonio beat Portland in the first NBA game in Texas’ capital city.
Tre Jones had 18 points and 10 assists for San Antonio, which is guaranteed to finish with one of the NBA’s three-worst records.
Kevin Knox had 24 points to lead Portland and Drew Eubanks added 23 points against his former team. The Trail Blazers have lost seven of eight.
The Spurs are playing their final two home games at the Moody Center in Austin as part of what the franchise has deemed a regional outreach.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
The Associated Press
