Butler Scores 30 In Return, Heat Hold Off Kings 105-104
MIAMI (AP/CBS13) — Jimmy Butler scored a season-high 30 points after missing 10 games because of the NBA's virus-related protocols and the Miami Heat defeated the Sacramento Kings 105-104 on Saturday night to end the Kings' three-game winning streak.
De'Aaron Fox scored 30 for Sacramento, 17 of those coming in the fourth. Buddy Hield had 18 for the Kings — including a steal that he turned into a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:44 left, putting the Kings up 104-103.
"You simply cannot put a modern-day analytic to Jimmy's will to win," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He was not going to let us lose, no matter what it took."
Butler played 34 minutes, finishing with eight assists and seven rebounds.
"We're going to build off of this," Butler said. "So much to get better at, but we can do it. We're going to turn this around."
Butler had the night's final score and the Heat escaped.
"Great player," Sacramento's Harrison Barnes said. "He definitely gives that team a different look, a different lift."
Sacramento had a last-ditch chance at the end, but Richaun Holmes' jumper got deflected by Miami's Bam Adebayo. Butler had a big say in that play as well, helping force the ball out of Fox's hands with a double-team.
"They made a big-time play at the end," Kings coach Luke Walton said of the Heat.
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Adebayo had 18 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, which got 15 points from Tyler Herro and 14 from Duncan Robinson. Kelly Olynyk scored 11 for the Heat, who were still without Goran Dragic and used their 14th lineup in 19 games this season.
Marvin Bagley scored 17 for Sacramento, which was playing its third game in four nights and saw its three-game winning streak snapped. Barnes scored 11 for the Kings.
Butler scored 20 points by halftime, 14 of them coming in the second quarter. The Heat trailed most of the first half, briefly held the lead late and went into intermission down 59-57 after Tyrese Haliburton beat the halftime buzzer with a 3-pointer.
Miami outscored the Kings by nine in the third, taking an 84-77 lead into the final period and led nearly the entire fourth — until Hield's late 3, but Butler ensured Miami's slide would finally end.
"We've just got to go out there and do our job," Butler said. "It starts now."
