NBA: Butler takes over in OT as Heat sink Raptors, Spurs edge out Rockets in 2OT despite Harden's 50pts

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) dribbles the ball as Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby (3) defends in the first half at Scotiabank Arena on Dec 3, 2019. PHOTO: REUTERS

(REUTERS) - Jimmy Butler scored the first eight points of overtime and finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists as the visiting Miami Heat defeated the champions Toronto Raptors 121-110 on Tuesday (Dec 3) night in their National Basketball Association (NBA) game.

Duncan Robinson added 22 points for the Heat, who have won three in a row and ended their opponents' seven-game winning streak. It was also the Raptors' first home loss of the season in 10 games.

Bam Adebayo had 18 points for Miami, Justise Winslow added 17 points and nine rebounds, and Kelly Olynyk had 16 points.

Norman Powell scored 23 points off the bench to lead the Raptors, who were held to two points in overtime. Fred VanVleet added 19 points, Pascal Siakam had 15 points and 12 rebounds, Marc Gasol had 14 points, Serge Ibaka scored 13 and Kyle Lowry, who had missed the previous 11 games with a fractured thumb, scored 12 points and had 11 assists.

The Raptors, who trailed by eight with 4:51 remaining in the fourth quarter, took a one-point lead on Powell's three-pointer with 42.6 seconds to play.

Butler, who finished with his fifth career triple-double, made one of two free throws to tie the game with 38.4 seconds remaining in the fourth. Both teams missed on their final possessions to force overtime.

Butler opened the overtime by making converting a three-point play, and he tacked on four more points in the first minute.

In another game, Anthony Davis had 25 points and 10 rebounds while battling an illness, LeBron James had 25 points, nine assists and six rebounds, and the visiting Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 105-96.

Dwight Howard scored 13 points and Rajon Rondo had 11 for the Lakers, who won the match-up of the top two teams in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles rebounded from having their 10-game winning streak stopped with a home loss to Dallas on Sunday.

Jamal Murray scored 22 points, Paul Millsap had 21 and Nikola Jokic was held to 13 points for the Nuggets. Denver have lost two straight following a six-game winning streak.

Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points, including the game-winning free throws with 3.3 seconds to play in the second overtime, as the San Antonio Spurs came back from 16 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the visiting Houston Rockets 135-133.

Lonnie Walker IV scored a career-high 28 points, 19 of them in the fourth quarter, to pace the Spurs. Bryn Forbes added 25, Rudy Gay had 14 points, Derrick White scored 12 and Jakob Poeltl pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds.

James Harden poured in 50 points, making all 24 of his free throws, to pace Houston.

Clint Capela scored 22 points and grabbed 21 rebounds for the Rockets, while Russell Westbrook contributed 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Austin Rivers added 19 points, Ben McLemore scored 11 and P.J. Tucker had 10.

Against the NBA champions, the Heat used a 13-4 burst to take a 32-23 lead after the first quarter and they led 58-53 at half-time.

The Raptors scored the first five points of the third quarter to tie the game.

They took the lead by two points on Siakam's lay-up after Gasol blocked a shot.

But the Heat regrouped and led by 11 after Butler's put-back lay-up with 5:37 remaining in the quarter.

VanVleet's three-point play completed the third-quarter scoring and reduced Miami's lead to 83-81.

Winslow scored five straight points to give the Heat a 98-80 lead with 6:54 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Raptors pulled to within three, but the Heat regained the eight-point lead on Olynyk's three-pointer.

Lowry's two free throws with 1:22 remaining cut the margin to two.

The Heat were without Goran Dragic (groin strain).

Elsewhere, Montrezl Harrell had 26 points and nine rebounds and Paul George scored 25 as hosts Los Angeles won for the ninth time in 10 games while snapping Portland's three-game winning streak.

Patrick Patterson added 19 points off the bench for the Clippers. He connected on 5 of 7 three-pointers and 6 of 10 from the floor. George converted 9 of 14 shots and 6 of 7 3-pointers. Kawhi Leonard and Patrick Beverley each added 11 points.

C.J. McCollum led the Blazers with 20 points. Hassan Whiteside scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Damian Lillard finished with 16 but managed just two points in the second half, a pair of free throws in the third quarter.

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