WASHINGTON, April 7 (BNA): Jimmy Butler and Tyler Hero each scored 24 points and the Miami Heat kept their hopes of avoiding the NBA championship alive with a 129-101 win over the Philadelphia 76ers Thursday night.
Max Strouss and Bam Adebayo each added 14 points. Miami got off to a fast start, leading 41-31 after a quarter and recording 39 assists, tying the franchise record for most games originally set on February 15, 1997, against Philadelphia, according to the Associated Press.
The Heat (43-37) would have to win their remaining two games (in Washington and at home against Orlando) and Brooklyn lose both home games this weekend (against Orlando and Philadelphia) to move into sixth place and avoid a win. Play in the round. Miami won the Southeast Division title.
Philadelphia (52-27) has already secured the third-place finish in the Eastern Conference playoffs. A win on Thursday night would have concluded the first round game against Brooklyn. Joel Embiid scored 21 points despite not playing in the fourth quarter. James Harden scored 14 bpm.
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