The Miami Heat earned a victory over the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers in Miami on Thursday, 110-104, and Jimmy Butler once again led the way.
Butler scored 28 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists in 36 minutes. The difference between how the Heat has played with Butler in the lineup this season and without is night and day. Simply put, with Butler out the Heat struggle. However, with Butler in the lineup, the Heat usually has a great chance of winning. Butler spoke to the media about how he and his team just work hard and put winning first.
“We always take the Ws in this league. They’re hard to come by,” Butler said. “We can be better but you’ve got to take them when you can get them.”
The supporting cast of the Heat came through in the win as well. Victor Oladipo scored 18 points and grabbed 4 rebounds on the night. He left the game with a knee injury but should be ok. Oladipo is finding his groove and finding his role within the team. The Heat will need him down the stretch if they hope to make another deep NBA Playoff run. Bam Adebayo scored 13 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Duncan Robinson scored 11 points and dished out 3 assists. Tyler Herro had a strong game off of the bench with 15 points.
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With a 27-25 record on the season, the Miami Heat now sits in a three-way tie for 4th place in the East. They are tied with the Charlotte Hornets and the Atlanta Hawks. The Heat now begins a 4 game West Coast swing. They face the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, 4/11. The game will air on NBA TV at 10 pm Eastern/ 7 pm Pacific.
