Miami Heat Snap Losing Streak, Defeat Sacramento Kings 118-110

The Miami Heat (12-17) are finally back in the win column after defeating the Sacramento Kings (12-16) Thursday night, 118-110.

The Triple-Double Duo

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo both recorded triple-doubles, marking just the second time in Heat history that 2 players earned triple-doubles in the same game. Butler and Adebayo are the only two to ever do it, first reaching the milestone in December 2019.

Tonight was only the 2nd time in HEAT history 2 players earned triple-doubles in the same game.

Who did it the 1st time? Yep… @JimmyButler & @Bam1of1 (Dec. 2019)

Statline Shoutout // @GEICO pic.twitter.com/TixFsXX1b7

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) February 19, 2021

Thursday marked Butler’s third-straight triple-double performance with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. He is the first Heat player to produce a triple-double in three consecutive games. Adebayo scored 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, earning his first triple-double of the season. Despite his personal achievement, Adebayo said he his just glad they could get the team win.

“We’re trying to get a win. I feel like a win matters more than the numbers did,” Adebayo said. “I’m glad we did the triple-double thing again. But I’m really appreciative of the W.”

The duo even had their teammates in awe of their performance. Kelly Olynyk, who had a season-high 22 points himself, said having two players capable of scoring triple-doubles the same night is a luxury.

“To have two on the same night, I’m not sure if every team has that luxury,” Olynyk said. “We need that. We’re welcoming that and riding their coattails.”

The Kings Have The NBA’s Worst Defense, And It Showed

The Heat racked up multiple season- and career-high performances, while the Kings continued to struggle. The dominant performance by Miami’s offense comes as no surprise, as Sacramento currently has the worst defensive rating in the NBA.

Tyler Herro led all scorers with 27 points. He shot 2 of 4 on threes and 9 of 10 in the paint. Coming off the bench, Herro finished with a 70.59 field goal percentage.

👶🐐 @raf_tyler led all scorers. . . and he did it off the bench.

27 Pts / 4 Rebs / 3 Asts / 1 Stl pic.twitter.com/08ZCnNWRwA

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) February 19, 2021

After letting the lead shrink to 10 points entering the fourth quarter, the Heat bounced back with a 22-12 run to push the lead back to 20. A series of turnovers and substitutions by Miami allowed Sacramento to rally in the last few minutes, but Miami was able to hold on and secure an eight-point lead at the final buzzer.

Up Next

The Heat will head to Los Angeles to face the Lakers Saturday at 8:30 p.m. The last matchup between these two teams was the 2019-20 NBA Finals.