MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 18 of his 36 points in the third quarter, and the Miami Heat extended the NBA’s current longest winning streak to seven games by beating the Brooklyn Nets 122-115 on Thursday night.
Duncan Robinson added 26 for the Heat, who have won seven straight for the first time since Dec. 30, 2017-Jan. 14, 2018. Bam Adebayo scored 20 for Miami.
Mikal Bridges and Lonnie Walker IV each scored 23 for Brooklyn, which had won their last five games against Miami. Nic Claxton was 7 for 7 from the field and scored 16 for the Nets, and Cam Johnson added 16 as well.
Miami lost to Brooklyn on Nov. 1 to fall to 1-4, the worst five-game start in Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s 16 seasons. The Heat haven’t lost since and the 8-4 record ties for the fourth-best 12-game start under Spoelstra; the team opened 9-3 on three occasions in that span.
THUNDER 128, WARRIORS 109
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Isaiah Joe was 7 for 7 from 3-point range and scored a season-high 23 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and seven assists and Oklahoma City Thunder sent Golden State Warriors to their fifth straight loss.
Josh Giddey added 19 points and rookie Chet Holmgren had 13 points and 10 rebounds in his fourth double-double to help propel Oklahoma City to their fifth win in six games.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry (right knee soreness) and forward Draymond Green (five-game suspension) were unavailable, and guard Gary Payton II exited with a sprained left ankle in the second quarter. X-rays on Payton’s ankle came back negative, the team announced.
Missing their leading scorer for a second straight game, the Warriors fell to 1-5 at Chase Center this season.