MIAMI — A Heat-Knicks game, down to the wire, just like old times.

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo made sure it wouldn’t get away from Miami.

The duo did all of Miami’s scoring for much of the second half, Butler finishing with a game-high 26 points, and the Heat beat New York 98-96 on Tuesday night to finish off a sweep of a home-and-home series.

RJ Barrett had a chance to tie it on the game’s final play, but his layup bounced off the rim and Miami won three straight for the first time this season. Kelly Olynyk scored 20 points for Miami, Adebayo had 19 and Tyler Herro finished with 15 – including the 3-pointer with 1:04 left that put the Heat up for good.

Elfrid Payton led the Knicks with 18 points, and Derrick Rose – in his first game back with New York – had 14 off the bench. Barrett scored 13 and Julius Randle finished with 12 for New York.

Herro scored Miami’s final basket of the first half, a layup with 30 seconds left.
For the next 18 1/2 minutes of game time, more than an hour of actual real time, Butler and Adebayo would be the only Heat players to score. They combined for all 19 Miami points of the third quarter and the first eight of the fourth, before Herro hit a jumper with 6:06 remaining.

PISTONS 122, NETS 111: Jerami Grant equaled a career high with 32 points and host Detroit took advantage of Kevin Durant’s absence to beat Brooklyn.

Detroit snapped a four-game losing streak and showed the same type of spirit that was on display in its previous game, a double-overtime loss in Los Angeles against the defending champion Lakers. The last-place Pistons handed Brooklyn its third straight defeat.

Durant was out because of the NBA’s health and safety protocols. The Nets were without both him and Kyrie Irving (right finger sprain) in a loss to Philadelphia on Saturday night. Irving returned against Detroit and scored 27 points.

PELICANS 130, ROCKETS 101: Reserve Josh Hart had 20 points and a career-high 17 rebounds to help host New Orleans overcome Zion Williamson’s early foul trouble, to beat Houston, to extend its winning streak to four games.

Brandon Ingram scored 22 and Williamson added 20 points, seven assists, five rebounds and a steal despite being limited to 20 minutes on the court, which might prove beneficial with New Orleans playing on back-to-back nights.

Willy Hernangomez added 14 points and 10 rebounds in a reserve role and Lonzo Ball capped his 15-point night with a back-breaking 3 in the fourth quarter as New Orleans pulled away for good.

NOTES

TIMBERWOLVES: Guard Malik Beasley was sentenced to 120 days in jail after pleading guilty to a felony charge of threats of violence for pointing a rifle at a family outside his home last fall.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced Beasley can serve his stay in the workhouse after the conclusion of his NBA season, setting a tentative report date for May 26. COVID-19 precautions could require the county to release him on electronic home monitoring for the duration of the sentence.

A couple and their 13-year-old child – on a house-hunting tour in September – pulled up to the suburban home where Beasley was living with his wife and then-18-month-old son and found the property roped off. Beasley approached their vehicle and pointed a rifle as he told them to leave. A police search of the house found weapons and marijuana. As part of Beasley’s plea deal in December, prosecutors dropped a felony fifth-degree drug possession charge.

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