FILE — Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 29, 2021 in New York City. Mike Stobe/Getty Images/AFP
Jimmy Butler scored a game-high-tying 28 points to lead the host Miami Heat to a 110-104 win over the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.
Miami also got 18 points from Victor Oladipo, who grabbed his right knee after a dunk with 5:35 left in the game. He immediately went to the locker room and did not return.
Heat guard Tyler Herro, playing through an injured left foot, had 15 points.
The @MiamiHEAT top LAL behind a team-high 28 PTS (8-11 FGM) from @JimmyButler! #HEATTwitter pic.twitter.com/OLalR04xe6
— NBA (@NBA) April 9, 2021
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the Lakers with a season-high 28 points, but Miami won in part because the Heat were plus-8 on points off of turnovers.
Andre Drummond returned for the Lakers after missing the past three games with a toe injury. He had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Dennis Schroder added 10 points and a game-high 14 assists for the Lakers.
But the Lakers were once again without stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. In addition, Kyle Kuzma sat out due to a calf strain, and Talen Horton-Tucker served a one-game suspension for his role in Tuesday’s altercation with the Toronto Raptors.
In addition, Lakers forward Markieff Morris was ejected with 2:14 left in the fourth quarter. Morris thought he was fouled on his shot, and he got the technical after arguing with a referee.
Lakers guard Alex Caruso took a second-quarter spill, but he returned in the second half.
Vic made his presence felt in this one
18 Pts / 4 Rebs / 2 Asts / 1 Blk / 3 Stls pic.twitter.com/a6Pe1nhmrl
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 9, 2021
Guard Ben McLemore, waived by the Houston Rockets on Saturday, made his Lakers debut on Thursday and had six points.
Heat guard Goran Dragic made a couple of highlight plays. One was a lob pass that went straight in as a Dragic bucket, and the other was his behind-the-back move on his way to a layup. He finished with 10 points.
Miami led 32-27 after the first quarter, outscoring the Lakers at the foul line 16-1.
The Lakers, trailing by as many as 11 points in the second quarter, took their first lead of the game on three McLemore free throws with 3:42 left in the first half. The Lakers then went into the break leading 56-54.
Miami surged back on top and led 83-80 after three quarters, and the Heat held on from there as Butler went 6-for-6 on free throws in the final two-plus minutes, including four in the last 17 seconds.