Butler scores 33 as Heat upset Jazz
MIAMI — Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat got their most significant win of the season and took down the team with the NBA’s best record in the process.
Butler scored a seasonhigh 33 points, reserve Goran Dragic tied his season-best with 26 and the Heat held on to beat Utah 124-116 on Friday night — handing the Jazz (26-7) just their third loss in their last 25 games.
Bam Adebayo scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Miami, which has won a season-best five straight games. Duncan Robinson scored 15 and Kendrick Nunn added 12 for the Heat.
Donovan Mitchell scored 30 for the Jazz, who got 17 from Bojan Bogdanovic and 15 from Rudy Gobert. Mike Conley scored 14 for Utah, which got 13 apiece from Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles.
Miami outrebounded Utah 49-36 and held the Jazz to 15-for-46 shooting from 3-point range.
Bogdanovic’s 3-pointer with 3:39 left started the last Jazz flurry, Conley got a layup on the next Utah possession and Gobert made two free throws on the next. Just like that, the Jazz were within 116-115.
But they got no closer, with Dragic taking a charge to erase what would have been a basket by Conley with 1:58 left. The Jazz wound up missing their last six shots.
CELTICS 118, PACERS 112
Kemba Walker made two late free throws and scored a season-high 32 points to help Boston snap a three-game losing streak with a win over visiting Indiana.
Daniel Theis added 17 points and Jaylen Brown finished with 15.
Domantas Sabonis led the Pacers with 24 points and nine assists.
CLIPPERS 119, GRIZZLIES 99
Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points, Lou Williams added 17 and visting Los Angeles beat Memphis to split a two-game series.
Jonas Valanciunas led Memphis with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
KINGS 110, PISTONS 107
De’Aaron Fox scored 27 points and visting Sacramento snapped a ninegame losing streak with a victory over Detroit.
Sacramento blew a 17-point first-quarter lead, then rallied from an eightpoint deficit in the final quarter.
SUNS 106, BULLS 97
Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton each scored 22 points and Phoenix rallied to beat Chicago on the road.
Zach LaVine scored 24 points for Chicago.
THUNDER 118, HAWKS 109
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points, and host Oklahoma City beat Atlanta after changing uniforms at halftime because a mixup left the teams wearing similar colors at the start.
Lu Dort scored 19 points and Darius Bazley added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder.
WARRIORS 130 HORNETS 121
Stephen Curry had 29 points and nine assists, Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 27 and host Golden State beat Charlotte.
Malik Monk had 25 points for the Hornets.
LAKERS 102, TRAIL BLAZERS 93
LeBron James had 28 points and seven assists, Dennis Schoder added 22 points and Los Angeles defeated Portland at home.
Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 35 points.