Heat beats Rockets on Butler dunk: Five takeaways. And updates on Westbrook, Beverley

The Heat has lost to the teams with the NBA’s second-, third- and fourth-worst records.

At least Miami avoided the indignity of losing to the league’s worst team, too. Down five late, the Heat rallied to beat Houston, 97-95 on Friday at Miami Dade-County Arena.

The Heat nearly blew a chance to win in regulation when Jalen Green drove past Caleb Martin and hit a layup with seven tenths of a second left, following a go-ahead three by Tyler Herro with 23 seconds left and go-ahead free throws by Jimmy Butler with six seconds remaining.

After the Rockets tied it in the final second, the Heat got the ball in the frontcourt after a timeout, and Butler got free, took a Gabe Vincent in-bounds pass and soared for a game-winning dunk with three tenths of a second left. Nobody was around Butler as he elevated for the alley-oop dunk.

“Kudos to Gabe, throwing a wonderful pass,” Butler said.

Erik Spoelstra said that play call was suggested by assistant coach Chris Quinn in the Orlando bubble in 2020. They used the play in practice, Butler scored on it and told Spoelstra that he had to use it in a game.

“It took 2 1/2 years,” Spoelstra said, cracking, “We never can use it again. I call the play CQ on my game card.”

Spoelstra said: “If it doesn’t work, everyone is like, ‘what the heck did you do?’ Gabe threw an amazing pass. That was top of the backboard type stuff.”

Butler ended up scoring 10 of his 16 points in the final 2 1/2 minutes.

Herro finished with 31 points, with nine rebounds and eight assists. He shot 11 for 20 from the field and 5 for 10 on threes.

Nothing comes easily for the Heat this season, and this was no different. Miami, ahead by two after three quarters, fell behind by five after scoring just 11 points in the first 10 minutes of the fourth.

Here’s how the final two minutes unfolded:

Butler drew fouls on successive possessions and hit four three throws to draw Miami to within 89-88 with 1:54 left.

After a Houston turnover, Butler missed a jumper, and Je’Sean Tate then rebounded a miss and hit a layup, putting the Rockets up three. Butler drew a goaltending call on Miami’s next possession, leaving Houston up one with 52 seconds left.

After a Rockets turnover, Herro hit a three to put the Heat ahead 93-91 with 23 seconds left. Miami had opened the second half 3 for 17 on threes.

Jabari Smith drew a foul and hit two free throws with 11 seconds left to tie the game, but then Butler drew a foul and hit the free throws with six seconds left. Houston tied it with Green’s layup.

“Green saw open space; I was shocked,” Spoelstra said. “He was in a perfect spot, where we couldn’t get help defenders,” before Butler’s game-winning dunk.

The Heat won its eighth in a row at home and moved to 9-2 at home against the Western Conference and 17-9 overall against the West.

Butler scored just six points (2 for 7 shooting) through three quarters, sat for the first half of the fourth quarter as is often the case and did so again on Friday. When he returned to the game, Houston was up four with 6:05 left.

But he hit both free throws to break a tie late, and then hit the game-winning dunk, and finished with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 28 minutes.

“Jimmy came alive,” Spoelstra said.

Miami - which previously lost to doormats San Antonio, Detroit and Charlotte - improved to 31-25 and moved 1.5 games ahead of the Knicks for sixth in the conference. New York (30-27) lost to Philadelphia.

Bam Adebayo, coming off a 38-point game against Indiana, hit his first five shots from the field, scored 16 in the first half but closed with only 20, battling foul trouble in the second half. But he had eight rebounds and was strong defensively late.

After an 18-point first half in his last game against Milwaukee on Saturday, Herro came out sizzling, with 16 points and seven assists in the first half Friday.

His second half included a circus-shot reverse layup, and an explosive drive and dunk in the halfcourt offense.

Herro stole a lazy, errant Houston pass and had a breakaway slam late in the third. His nine points in the third helped keep the Heat afloat while Butler and Adebayo were out of the game.

Martin gave Miami energy with two early threes and five early rebounds, but closed just 2 for 9 from the field, on a six-point, nine-rebound night.

Max Strus (14 points) was the only Heat bench player who scored more than three.

“You’re going to get must-see TV,” Spoelstra said of his team, which is on a record pace for games decided by five points or less. “It wasn’t what I designed or hoped for, but they played well. When we were down five, we had to make some plays.”

Guard Jamaree Bouyea, on a 10-day contract, appeared in his first NBA game and had two points in 14 minutes.

Five takeaways:

▪ The Heat overcame foul trouble to its starting power rotation players.

Martin left with his fourth foul 14 seconds into the third quarter and the Heat ahead by two, not returning until the fourth quarter and the Heat down four.

Adebayo left with his fourth with just over five minutes left in the third and the Heat ahead 68-65.

Adebayo’s backup, Orlando Robinson, picked up his fourth foul less than two minutes later.

But Herro kept the Heat afloat, and by the time Adebayo returned to start the fourth quarter, Miami was still ahead, by two.

But when Adebayo picked up his fifth foul with 4:55 left, Spoelstra removed him and replaced him with Robinson with the Heat down one.

Spoelstra re-inserted Adebayo with 3:30 left and the Heat down five.

Miami was plus 21 in Adebayo’s 34 minutes, compared to a minus 19 in Robinson’s 14 minutes.

▪ Adebayo’s offensive explosion came to a sudden stop, with foul trouble playing a factor.

After scoring 54 points in six quarters (including the Indiana game), Abebayo managed just four in the second half. He took only four shots in the second half, making one.

He has now scored in double figures in 67 games in a row, tying Dwyane Wade for the sixth-longest streak in Heat history.

LeBron James (294) holds the Heat’s longest double figure scoring streak, with three streaks by Wade (148, 111, 78) next on that list. Alonzo Mourning owns the team’s fifth longest double figure scoring streak at 75.

▪ The Heat is discussing point guards who are expected to be bought out.

With Kyle Lowy sidelined indefinitely with a knee injury, Miami has had internal discussions about Russell Westbrook and is expected to inquire if he becomes available.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Heat and Bulls have interest, but Westbrook isn’t certain that he will seek a buyout from Utah, which is willing to give him one.

“He’s going to take some time - perhaps all the way to the All Star break to make a decision,” Wojnarowski said on ESPN on Friday night, adding that the Jazz “can’t make any promises to him” about playing time but that Westbrook “wants to decompresses and take some time.”

Wojnarowski made Chicago the front-runner if he’s bought out.

“If he gets out into the buyout market, there is significant interest in Westbrook,” Wojnarowski said. “I think one team you got to watch and I think will be a front-runner are the Chicago Bulls. Billy Donovan certainly coached Westbrook in Oklahoma City. If you go further down his bench, Mo Cheeks, Josh Longstaff...

“There is a staff of former OKC assistants who all had good relationships and worked well with Westbrook with the Bulls. And you could see how he fits just bringing some energy and fire to that team’s bench.”

Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported on Friday that the Bulls and Heat would be Westbrook’s top two choices.

Westbrook, dealt from the Lakers to Utah in a three-time trade on Thursday, averaged 15.9 points, 7.5 assists and 5.9 rebounds for Los Angeles but shot 41.7 percent from the field and 29.6 percent on threes. He came off the bench in three of his 52 appearances for the Lakers this season.

The Jazz acquired his expiring contract and owe him a prorated amount of his $44 million salary.

The Heat also has been linked to veteran point guard Patrick Beverley, who is expected to receive a buyout from Orlando.

ESPN’s Wojnarowski reported that the Heat and Bulls are potential “landing spots” for Beverley, who averaged 6.4 points. 2.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 40 games, all starts, for the Lakers. He has shot 40.2 percent overall and 34.8 percent on threes.

An associate said he expected Lowry to miss the remaining games in February, though the situation is fluid.

Lowry - who has missed three games in a row with the knee injury - was not at Miami-Dade Arena for the second home game in a row; the team said the absence was excused and related to the knee issue.

▪ Bouyea made his NBA debut, as Miami continues to use a bench featuring all undrafted players in Victor Oladipo’s absence. And that bench is limited offensively, beyond Strus.

After using only three bench players in Wednesday’s win against Indiana (Robinson, Haywood Highsmith and Strus), Erik Spoelstra expanded the bench to include Bouyea, who had been averaging 19.5 points on 52 percent shooting from the field but just 28.6 percent shooting from three-point range, 5.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists for the Heat’s G-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Bouyea entered late in the first quarter and scored on a layup 14 seconds later, his only points in 14 minutes that included two turnovers.

“We needed to” play nine, Spoelstra said. “I didn’t want to run Gabe and Jimmy” into the ground. The plan is to try to play these guys” on Saturday in Orlando.

Strus hit 3 of 6 three-pointers in the first half and was the Heat’s only bench player who scored more than three points. He closed 4 for 12 from the field.

Oladipo missed his fourth game in a row with a sprained ankle.

▪ Martin said the Heat was relieved to get past the trade deadline. And Miami came out strong, hitting its first three three-pointers and jumping ahead 20-10 before a Rockets run.

“We got a tight group of guys and love playing with each other,” Martin said. “We have a great connection. Everyone felt relieved that nobody had to go. Obviously, the [Dewayne] Dedmon situation was tough for us. Dedmon is our guy. We’ll keep figuring it out, moving on with what we have.”

The Heat dealt Dedmon and a second-round pick to San Antonio for about $100,000 in cash, a move that allows Miami to spend nearly $5 million and remain under the luxury tax threshold.

NEWS NOTE

The Heat expects all players who played on Friday to be available on Saturday against Orlando (7 p.m., Bally Sports Sun). Butler hasn’t played in back to back games since October, but the expectation is that he will barring something unforeseen.

Asked if he plans to play Saturday, Butler said: “I don’t know if I’ll wake up in the morning. It ain’t up to me.”