Butler has 35, Miami gets needed win over Dallas, 129-122

MIAMI (AP) Jimmy Butler had 35 factors and 12 assists, Cody Zeller added 20 factors and the Miami Warmth held off the Dallas Mavericks 129-122 on Saturday night time to snap a three-game shedding streak.

Max Strus and Kevin Love every scored 18 and Tyler Herro added 15 for the Warmth.

Luka Doncic was good once more for Dallas, ending with 42 factors, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Tim Hardaway Jr. had 31 factors and Kyrie Irving added 23 factors and eight assists for the Mavericks.

Dallas shot a season-best 61% and misplaced anyway. The Mavs had been 7-0 this season when taking pictures at the least 54%, and fell to 30-2 all-time, together with playoffs, in video games the place they shot at the least 60%.

It was a win by a determined Miami crew over a determined Dallas crew. Each golf equipment went to the convention finals final season; the Warmth try to get out of the play-in spherical, and the Mavericks try to simply have a shot on the playoffs.

“We’re having comparable seasons,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd stated. “We had success final yr at a excessive degree. However every season is completely different. They’re by no means the identical. The outcomes, until you may win the championship back-to-back, are completely different. We’re in the identical boat proper now. We’re each combating for our lives to make it within the playoffs.”

The win strikes Miami (41-37) nearer to securing no worse than the No. 7 seed and most advantageous spot within the Japanese Convention play-in event. The Warmth at the moment are 2 1/2 video games forward of each No. 8 Atlanta (38-39) and No. 9 Toronto (additionally 38-39).

Miami moved inside 1 1/2 video games of No. 6 Brooklyn (42-35). Even when the Warmth win out and end with 45 wins, the Nets – who maintain the head-to-head tiebreaker – would solely must go 3-2 of their ultimate 5 video games to make sure they’d end forward of Miami.

In the meantime, it’s an enormous blow to Dallas (37-41).

The Mavs fell a full recreation again of No. 10 Oklahoma Metropolis (38-40) within the race for the final Western Convention play-in spot, and worse, the Thunder personal the head-to-head tiebreaker. Dallas is now two video games again of No. 9 Minnesota (39-39) and only a half-game forward of No. 12 Utah (36-41).

Miami modified its beginning lineup, partly out of necessity. Middle Bam Adebayo didn’t play due to a proper hip contusion, so Zeller – beginning a recreation for the primary time since Might 15, 2021, for Charlotte – took his spot and Strus took the ahead beginning spot that had been held by Love since he joined the Warmth in February.

The strikes paid quick dividends. Strus was 3 for 3, all 3-pointers, in his first shift. Love was 3 for 3 from the sector and 6 for six from the road for 13 factors in his first 8 minutes off the bench, and Zeller had 12 factors by halftime.

All of it helped add as much as the third highest-scoring first half in Warmth historical past: Miami led 76-64 on the break, stretched the result in 18 within the second half – then needed to hold on within the ultimate moments anyway.

TIP-INS

Mavericks: Dallas’ string of three consecutive successful common seasons will finish. The perfect the Mavs can end is 41-41. … The Mavs fell to 5-16 in video games the place they permit greater than 100 factors. … Dallas had one offensive rebound.

Warmth: Butler’s 16 first-quarter factors had been his second-most in any quarter this season. He had 17 within the third quarter towards Milwaukee on Feb. 4. … Miami will end with a report of at the least .500 for the fourth consecutive yr and the twenty fourth time in its 35 seasons.

WHAT’S LEFT

Dallas performs its ultimate street recreation of the common season at Atlanta on Sunday, then finishes with house video games towards Sacramento, Chicago and San Antonio.

Miami begins a visit to Detroit, Philadelphia and Washington on Tuesday, earlier than ending at house April 9 towards Orlando.

UP NEXT

Mavericks: Go to Atlanta on Sunday.

Warmth: Go to Detroit on Tuesday.

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