NBA: Jimmy Butler stars as Miami Heat beat Utah Jazz
Last updated on .From the section Basketball
Jimmy Butler scored a season-high 33 points as the Miami Heat beat the high-flying Utah Jazz 124-116 on Friday.
Butler was supported by Goran Dragic, who scored 26 points off the bench as Miami earned a fifth straight win.
Donovan Mitchell netted 30 points for Jazz, who have the best record in the NBA this season, having won 22 games since 8 January.
Victory for Heat follows wins over the past two champions: the Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Elsewhere, the Lakers ended their run of four consecutive defeats with a 102-93 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Talisman LeBron James recorded 28 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocked shots in a stellar performance.
Dennis Schroder added 22 points for the Lakers after missing the previous four games because of Covid-19 protocols.
Damian Lillard had scored 35 points but could not prevent Portland from losing its season-worst fourth straight game.
| NBA results |
|---|
| Houston Rockets 111-122 Toronto Raptors |
| Indiana Pacers 112-118 Boston Celtics |
| Utah Jazz 116-124 Miami Heat |
| Phoenix Suns 106-97 Chicago Bulls |
| LA Clippers 119-99 Memphis Grizzlies |
| Atlanta Hawks 109-118 Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Sacramento Kings 110-107 Detroit Pistons |
| Portland Trail Blazers 93-102 LA Lakers |
| Charlotte Hornets 121-130 Golden State Warriors |
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