Butler Scores Season-High 37, Heat Beat Rockets 120-110

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) – Jimmy Butler scored a season-high 37 points and the short-handed Miami Heat built a large pb aboriginal and held connected for a 120-110 triumph implicit the Houston Rockets connected Friday night.

The Heat extended their winning streak to 5 games successful their instrumentality to enactment aft Wednesday’s crippled astatine San Antonio was postponed due to the fact that Miami didn’t person capable players. They signed Mario Chalmers and Chris Silva to 10-day contracts connected Friday arsenic reinforcements with 7 players inactive retired due to the fact that of COVID protocols.

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Butler embraced the situation of keeping the squad connected way with truthful galore players unavailable.

“That’s erstwhile you truly find retired who you are and what you’re made of,” helium said. “We had caller guys coming successful and guys are nicked up and you conscionable find a mode to win.”

Miami got a boost with the instrumentality of Kyle Lowry, who had 12 points aft missing 2 games owed to wellness and information protocols. Kyle Guy added 17 points disconnected the seat for the Heat aft signing a 10-day declaration Thursday, and Tyler Herro had 16.

“All the caller guys that played contiguous did a large occupation of impacting the game,” manager Erik Spoelstra said. “Kyle (Guy) was a spark close away. It was fun. That was a amusive nighttime and it was amusive to spot these caller guys contribute.”

Jae’Sean Tate scored 22 points disconnected the seat to pb the Rockets, who mislaid their sixth consecutive game. He returned Friday aft missing 2 games owed to wellness and information protocols

“He gave america everything that helium ever brings,” manager Stephen Silas said. “That shows a batch astir him. For him to beryllium retired 5 days and prime up close wherever helium near disconnected is truly good.”

The Heat led by arsenic galore arsenic 25 points successful the archetypal fractional aft a 41-point opening quarter. But the Rockets chipped distant astatine the lead, and Tate scored 5 consecutive points to get them wrong 107-102 with little than 5 minutes left.

Miami made 4 escaped throws aft that, starting a 7-0 tally that was capped by a 3 from Lowry and pushed the pb to 114-102 with 3 minutes remaining.

Houston opened the 4th fourth with an 8-1 spurt to chopped the pb to 101-95 with astir 8 minutes to go. But Butler entered the crippled aft starting the 4th fourth connected the seat and his three-point play soon aft ended the run.

Josh Christopher made a layup for Houston earlier different three-point play by Butler made it 107-97 midway done the quarter.

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The Heat utilized a 6-0 tally to widen the pb to 18 with astir 5 minutes near successful the 3rd quarter. Houston scored the adjacent 7 points, with 4 from Christian Wood, to get wrong 90-79 astir a infinitesimal later.

But Miami scored 5 speedy points aft that, with a 3 from Haywood Highsmith, to pad the lead.

Miami was up by 18 again precocious successful the 3rd earlier the Rockets scored the past 5 points of the 4th to chopped the pb to 100-87 entering the fourth.

TIP-INS

Heat: P.J. Tucker, Zylan Cheatham, Marcus Garrett, Udonis Haslem, Duncan Robinson, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent each sat retired owed to wellness and information protocols. Robinson’s lack Friday nighttime ended his franchise-record streak of 182 consecutive games played, dating to April 2019. … Omer Yurtseven had 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Rockets: Jalen Green had 16 points and Wood had 18. … D.J. Augustin, DeJon Jarreau and Garrison Mathews missed the crippled due to the fact that of wellness and information protocols. … Alperen Sengun injured his close ankle successful the archetypal fractional and didn’t return.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

Friday marked the 20th consecutive play successful which the Rockets hosted a crippled connected New Year’s Eve. Houston fell to 15-5 with the nonaccomplishment that snapped a five-game winning streak.

It is the 5th clip the Heat person played connected New Year’s Eve, and the archetypal since 2014. They improved to 3-2.

UP NEXT

Heat: Visit Sacramento connected Sunday night.

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Rockets: Host Nuggets connected Saturday night.