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| Photo: Instagram/Jimmy Butler |
In a thrilling matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, the Miami Heat had a rocky start but were able to pull off a second-half comeback to secure a 119-115 victory.
Despite being down by 14 points with just over three minutes left in the third quarter, the Heat rallied behind Jimmy Butler's impressive performance to cut the deficit to seven before the period ended.
This momentum carried over into the fourth quarter, with the Heat going on a 13-2 run to take the lead by four with 8:27 left to play.
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| Photo: Instagram/Jimmy Butler |
Butler, who scored 33 points in total, was instrumental in leading the Heat to victory.
He scored 12 of those points in the final period, including eight straight points that put the Heat ahead 107-101 with just over three minutes to go.
Although the Cavaliers made a valiant effort to close the gap in the final minute, Butler's pull-up jumper with 18 seconds left sealed the win for Miami.
The Heat dominated in the final period, outscoring the Cavs 37-26 and making an impressive 70.6% of their attempts (12-17) and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.
In contrast, the Cavs only made 9-of-23 attempts from the floor and 3-of-12 from 3-point range in the final 12 minutes.
Butler wasn't the only player who stepped up for the Heat - Tyler Herro contributed 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting with five 3-pointers, while Bam Adebayo added 19 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
While Donovan Mitchell put on a phenomenal performance for the Cavs, scoring 42 points on 15-of-30 shooting and 8-of-15 from 3-point range, he struggled in the second half, going 6-of-18 from the field and 3-of-10 in the final quarter.
This victory marks the first time the Heat have won three of their last four games since mid-February.
With a record of 36-32, they are still 2.5 games behind the Brooklyn Nets for the final non-play-in spot and 1.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 7 spot.
With upcoming games against the Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz, and Memphis Grizzlies, the Heat have an opportunity to improve their standing in the Eastern Conference as they head into the final stretch of the regular season.
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Source: SB Nation
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