LOS ANGELES (AFP) — The Miami Heat squandered a 15-point third-quarter lead but held on to beat Charlotte 117-112 in overtime on Thursday, handing the Hornets a seventh straight National Basketball Association defeat.
Jimmy Butler fueled the Heat with 35 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Bam Adebayo added 18 points with 14 rebounds, but the Heat nearly let the game get away — as they had in recent losses to the Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers.
Despite the absence of injured Tyler Herro, the Heat built their lead to 15 points in the second quarter and again in the third.
They were up by 12 heading into the fourth, but the Hornets, who traveled to Miami overnight after a Wednesday home game, tied things up with a 12-0 scoring run.
They took the lead on a three-point play by Mason Plumlee with 6:50 remaining and led by as many as four before they went to overtime tied at 104-104.
Charlotte trailed by one with 14.8 seconds left in overtime when Kelly Oubre was called for traveling after receiving an inbounds pass.
Miami’s Gabe Vincent made two free-throws to push the advantage and Terry Rozier missed a three-pointer as the Hornets came up short.
Oubre led the Hornets with 29 points and Rozier added 22.
In Atlanta, the Hawks out-scored the Philadelphia 76ers 34-24 in the third quarter and led by as many as 20 in the fourth on the way to a 104-95 victory.
