MIAMI — The mission, at least the regular-season challenge, is almost complete. And it might be over before they take the court again.
With Tuesday night’s 144-115 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at FTX Arena, the Miami Heat need only one victory in their final two games to wrap up the No. 1 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.
And even that might not be necessary, the Heat potentially clinching in advance of Friday night’s return to the court, against the visiting Atlanta Hawks, pending the result of upcoming games for the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.
With assistant Chris Quinn guiding the Heat for a second consecutive game with coach Erik Spoelstra still in NBA health-and-safety protocols, the Heat found ample answers on a night Kyle Lowry was given off for rest, producing the second-highest scoring game in the franchise’s 34 seasons. The record remains 149 in a March 2018 double-overtime game.
There were a career regular-season-high 35 points from Tyler Herro, 27 from Jimmy Butler, 22 from Bam Adebayo and 21 from Duncan Robinson.
The 35 points from Herro tied Dwyane Wade’s franchise record for regular-season points by a reserve.
The effort was fueled by the Heat’s 23-of-42 3-point shooting, setting the franchise record for 3-pointers.
With the victory the Heat matched their season-best five-game winning streak.
Five Degrees of Heat from Tuesday’s game:
— 1. Closing time: The Heat fell behind by 10 early, trailed 32-29 at the end of the first period, and led 70-60 at halftime.
After falling behind in the third, the Heat regrouped to take a 102-97 lead into the fourth.
A turning point then came with 10:26 left, when Quinn successfully challenged what was ruled a charging foul on Butler. With the reversal, a foul was called on Kelly Oubre, with Butler’s two free throws putting the Heat up 109-99, matching the Heat’s largest lead to that stage.
A Herro 3-pointer followed for a 112-99 Heat lead that quickly was pushed to 18.
— 2. Tucker exits: At a time of year you don’t want to be losing players, starting power forward P.J. Tucker exited to the locker room midway through the third period, lost for the game with a strained right calf.
That came with Markieff Morris, who had started Sunday night in Toronto, already sidelined with strained left hip flexor.
Tucker, who was given Sunday off in Toronto, had been listed as questionable with an irritated left knee.
He closed with seven points and seven rebounds in 21:47.
— 3. Rested, rejuvenated: But Sunday off apparently did wonders for Butler, who scored 14 first-half points, including a buzzer-beating jumper than staked the Heat to their 10-point halftime lead.
Butler also had a team-high five assists and two steals in his 18 first-half minutes, helping the Heat end the second quarter on a 12-3 run.
— 4. Space race: Robinson provided exactly the type of spacing Spoelstra envisioned with his move to the second unit, shooting 6 of 7 on 3-pointers in the first half, after Max Strus opened 2 of 3 from beyond the arc in his initial stint.
The six 3-pointers were Robinson’s high for any half this season.
Herro also opened 2 of 3 on 3s, with the Heat closing the first half 11 of 17 from beyond the arc, a run that included Butler converting his lone 3-point attempt.
— 5. Rotation revision: Herro, Robinson, Caleb Martin and Omer Yurtseven played as the Heat’s four primary reserves, with Yurtseven’s chance coming with Dewayne Dedmon missing the game with an ankle sprain.
The reshuffle left Victor Oladipo on the outside of the rotation, after his 21 points sparked the Heat’s win over the Raptors.
