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Jimmy Butler Leads Heat to Overtime Win vs. Trae Young, Hawks
December 11, 2019
The Miami Heat overcame a 117-111 deficit in the final minute of regulation to force overtime before scoring the first 16 points of the extra session en route to a 135-121 win over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo each posted triple-doubles for the Heat, who made 53 field goals and shot 51.0 percent from the field.
Adebayo was one of three Heat players to post 30 or more points.
Duncan Robinson hit 10 three-pointers en route to 34 points. Kendrick Nunn led all scorers with 36 (14-of-26 shooting), and Adebayo earned a 30-point, 11-rebound, 11-assist triple-double.
Butler led all players on the boards with 18 in addition to his 20 points and 10 dimes.
Rookie forward De'Andre Hunter scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Hawks. Trae Young added 21 points and nine assists.
The 18-6 Heat improved to 11-0 at home. The Hawks fell to 6-18.
Notable Performances
Hawks PG Trae Young: 21 points, 9 assists
Hawks F De'Andre Hunter: 28 points, 4 rebounds
Heat G/F Jimmy Butler: 20 points, 18 rebounds, 10 assists
Heat G Kendrick Nunn: 36 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
Heat F Duncan Robinson: 34 points
Heat C Bam Adebayo: 30 points, 11 assists, 11 rebounds
Heat Set Milestones in High-Scoring Comeback Win over Atlanta
One of the more entertaining games of the 2019-20 season ended with two triple-doubles, a 16-0 overtime run, a player hitting 10 three-pointers and 256 total points.
When it was all over, the Heat had won their 11th home game in 11 tries, vaulting themselves to third place in the East just percentage points behind the second-place Boston Celtics.
Win No. 11 in Miami didn't come easily, with the Hawks leading 117-111 late in the fourth quarter. Even Hawks guard Trae Young felt confident enough to yell "It's over!" to the Heat crowd.
It was not over.
A Butler three followed a Robinson three to tie the game up at 117 with 29.8 seconds remaining, and that's where the two teams stood at the end of regulation.
The extra session belonged to Robinson, Adebayo and Derrick Jones Jr., who scored all of the Heat's 18 points.
Robinson hit a pair of threes to give himself 10 for the night:
And Adebayo earned the triple-double in overtime:
As expected, the Heat achieved some special accolades in the victory thanks to their stat-stuffing performance. Per ESPN Stats & Info, this marked the first time a pair of Miami teammates registered a triple-double in the same game.
Adebayo became the youngest player to do so in franchise history and was also the first to notch a 30-point triple-double since LeBron James in 2013.
Finally, the Heat trio of Nunn, Robinson and Adebayo became the first to each score 30 in a game for the Heat since the Big Three of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh did so in 2011.
Miami has been a pleasant surprise in the Eastern Conference and finds itself right there with a group of teams fighting for second behind the Milwaukee Bucks, who have won 15 straight and look like they may earn the No. 1 seed by the time April hits.
Everything is clicking as the Butler-Adebayo duo leads a Heat team capable of exploding offensively on any given night. That ability helps them on evenings when the defense isn't faring well, as was the case against Atlanta.
But Miami entered Tuesday a respectable eighth in defensive efficiency, per ESPN, so giving up 117 points in regulation isn't exactly commonplace.
Given the Heat's well-rounded roster, Miami should have the staying power needed to hang in the top four of the East.
What's Next?
On Friday, the Heat will host the 21-3 Los Angeles Lakers, who sport the NBA's best record alongside the Milwaukee Bucks and take on the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Game time in Miami is 7 p.m. ET.
Atlanta will visit the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Wednesday at 8 p.m.