FILE–Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat. Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images/AFP
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo each scored 29 points and Kyle Lowry recorded a triple-double as the visiting Miami Heat won their fourth consecutive game by defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 112-97 on Thursday night.
Lowry finished with 14 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds and Adebayo added 10 rebounds. Dewayne Dedmon added 11 points and Duncan Robinson 10 as the East-leading Heat finished 4-2 on a six-game trip.
Jose Alvarado came off the bench to score 17 points for the Pelicans, who saw their four-game winning streak end. Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte’ Graham scored 16 each and Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, making his Pelicans debut, had 15 each.
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McCollum, the central figure in a seven-player trade with Portland on Tuesday, made just 6 of 21 shots, including 2 of 10 3-pointers.
Miami scored the first seven points of the third quarter to take a 63-55 lead. New Orleans got within four points four times before the Heat pushed the lead to 76-65 on a 3-pointer by Max Strus.
Alvarado scored the Pelicans’ next six points and fed Jaxson Hayes for a dunk, but Miami still held an 83-73 lead at the end of the third quarter.
New Orleans scored the first three points of the fourth quarter, but the Heat quickly rebuilt the lead to 11.
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Alvarado and Graham each made a 3-pointer to cut the lead to four, but Miami scored the next five points for a 101-92 lead and coasted home.
The Heat shot 55.6 percent (10 of 18) and held a 27-24 lead at the end of the first period as the Pelicans shot 36 percent (9 of 25).
McCollum’s first 3-pointer started the second-quarter scoring and pulled New Orleans even. Miami led by seven points on two occasions before another 3-pointer by McCollum tied the score at 42.
Graham’s 3-pointer gave the Pelicans a five-point lead before Butler’s four points led a Heat surge that gave them a 56-55 halftime lead.