Miami (AFP)
Jimmy Butler scored 35 points to save the Miami Heat from a third consecutive loss, and achieve a brutal 129-122 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, to fade the latter’s hopes of crossing into the “Playoff” elimination rounds of the NBA.
Butler produced a typical dynamic performance to lead Miami to a precious victory, while notching 12 assists. Cody Zeller provided offensive support with 20 points, while Kevin Love and Max Stross added 18 points each, and Tyler Hero finished the match with 15 points.
And with its forty-first victory this season in exchange for 37 defeats, Miami remained in seventh place in the Eastern Region standings, one victory behind the sixth-placed Brooklyn Nets in the race for a place in the playoffs.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was pleased that his team was able to rediscover its offensive rhythm, following managing just 92 points in each of its previous two games.
“They are a very good offensive team, we knew we would have to put some points in,” Spoelstra said. We knew that we would have to put some pressure on them offensively, and during the course of the match we were able to get them ready, and Jimmy controlled the rhythm of the match.
But while the Miami team celebrated, Dallas lamented its new painful loss, which brings them closer to being absent from the “Playoff” one year following reaching the Western Region finals.
Dallas remained in eleventh place in the Western Region standings, with 37 wins once morest 41 losses, and it is now one match behind Oklahoma City Thunder, which ranks tenth, the last of the automatically qualifying positions.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd cited his team’s shaky defense as the reason for the loss.
“It wasn’t the offensive side of the field that was the problem, it was the defensive side,” Kidd said. We were trying to get shooting opportunities and then when we got the chance we threw it away. We have to do a better job of keeping the ball.”
Logically, Oklahoma City has the advantage in direct confrontations with Dallas, which means that they will still be ahead of the Mavericks even if they are tied in the number of victories.
And there are only four games left in the regular season once morest Dallas, who have lost six of their last seven games, to advance to the playoffs.
Slovenian Luka Doncic led the scoring list for Dallas in Miami with 42 points, ten rebounds and eight assists, while Tim Hardaway Jr. finished the game with 31 points.
Kyrie Irving scored 23 points, but struggled to make an impact in the game.
“Timmy (Hardaway), Kay (Irving) and Luca kept us in the game,” Kidd said. We didn’t get any production from the substitute players tonight.
Elsewhere in the league, the New Orleans Pelicans maintained their momentum on the path to the playoffs, with a 122-114 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
New Orleans ranks seventh in the Western Conference standings, with 40 wins and 38 losses, half a game behind the sixth-placed Clippers.
