Butler gets triple-double, Heat hold off Raptors

MIAMI (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 23 points, Jimmy Butler got a triple-double in the game's final moment and the Miami Heat held off the Toronto Raptors 104-99 on Monday night.

MIAMI (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 23 points, Jimmy Butler got a triple-double in the game’s final moment and the Miami Heat held off the Toronto Raptors 104-99 on Monday night.

Bam Adebayo, in his first game back after missing six weeks following thumb surgery, scored 14 points and made a pair of free throws with 8.5 seconds remaining.

Butler finished with 19 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds — the last of those coming as time was expiring, when Fred VanVleet’s 3-point try missed.

“I’m just happy Jimmy got the triple-double and we got the win,” Adebayo said.

Gabe Vincent scored 15 points for Miami, which pulled into a virtual tie with Chicago for first in the Eastern Conference.

VanVleet finished with 22 points for Toronto, which got 23 from Chris Boucher and 18 points and 10 rebounds from Pascal Siakam. Scottie Barnes scored 16 points, OG Anunoby scored 14 and former Heat forward Precious Achiuwa grabbed 15 rebounds for Toronto.

Siakam scored off a turnover with 1:48 left to get Toronto within 99-96, but PJ Tucker made a corner 3 with 20 seconds left — off Butler’s 10th assist — to help Miami hold on.

The game was expected to be the first time that Heat guard Kyle Lowry faced the Raptors since leaving Toronto for Miami this past season. Lowry helped Toronto win the 2019 NBA title on his way to claiming to the unofficial moniker of GROAT — the Greatest Raptor Of All-Time.