After winning in Jimmy Butler’s return to action, the Miami Heat will be going for their fourth consecutive victory Wednesday night when they visit the Toronto Raptors.
Butler scored 31 points Monday night in a 96-95 overtime road win over the Brooklyn Nets after missing the previous seven games with a sprained right toe.
The Heat had trailed by 14 points at halftime but came back to tie the game at 88 after regulation.
Butler also missed four straight games in late December because of a strained left calf, so he had missed 11 of the previous 12 games before Monday. He was 8-for-12 from the field and hit 15 of his 16 free-throw attempts in 40 minutes.
“It was phenomenal,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “You don’t ever forget about his greatness. The fact that he can score 31 on 12 shots, that’s a misprint.”
Monday marked just the ninth game that Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Butler have played together through the first 40 games this season.
Herro had 29 points and 11 rebounds Monday, scoring six of Miami’s eight overtime points.
“Tyler really played a great all-around basketball game,” Spoelstra said. “He had some clutch plays down the stretch, where it wasn’t just all Jimmy.”
Adebayo had 11 points and a season-best 20 rebounds.
“Bam’s 20 rebounds and his defensive anchoring on that side of the floor was critical,” Spoelstra said. “If he didn’t do all of that, we’re not winning this game.”
The Heat were without Jaime Jaquez Jr. (left groin strain) and Kevin Love (left knee contusion) Monday. It was the first game Jaquez has missed this season and he’s not expected to play Wednesday.
Love has missed two straight games. He had yet to be ruled out for Wednesday.
The Raptors returned from a 2-4 road trip Monday and took their fourth straight loss, 105-96 to the visiting Boston Celtics, despite a gritty defensive effort.
In the loss to Boston, Toronto continued to get solid play from RJ Barrett (24 points and nine rebounds) and Immanuel Quickley (21 points), who were playing their eighth game with their new team after being acquired in a trade with the New York Knicks.
Scottie Barnes added 10 points and 13 rebounds.
“You guys bring up that we don’t play defense,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic told reporters. “We start playing defense, our offense is great, then our offense is struggling.
“I mean, we shot 4-of-32 from the 3-point line tonight. I thought that it looked like we were getting good looks. The ball did not go in. Even inside the paint, around the rim, first and second quarter, I thought we were getting to the right spots. We did not make those.”
The Celtics shot 41 percent (16-for-39) from 3-point range.
“We stuck to the game plan. They’re a very good team,” Barrett said. “They’re going to make some shots. I think we played hard, played together, there were some tough stretches for us, end of the third, beginning of the fourth, but we were able to fight, rally and come back.”
The Heat defeated the Raptors 112-103 Dec. 6 at Toronto with Caleb Martin posting a season-best 24 points and a career-best 12 rebounds.
–Field Level Media