KYLE LOWRY

Jimmy Butler returned from his sprained ankle to score 28 points, Max Strus added 19 and the Miami Heat topped the New York Knicks 105-86 to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points and keyed the run the New York Knicks needed just in time to get by a Miami Heat team playing without Jimmy Butler, evening the Eastern Conference semifinals at a game apiece with a 111-105 victory.

The Miami Heat refused to waste another opportunity in game 3 of the first round in the NBA playoffs on Saturday night.

Jimmy Butler scored 30 points before leaving with back soreness following a hard fall, and the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks 121-99 on Saturday night for a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Trae Young scored 25 points, Clint Capela grabbed 21 rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks grabbed the No. 7 in the Eastern Conference playoffs by beating the Miami Heat 116-105 in a play-in tournament game Tuesday night.

The Eastern Conference play-in tournament matchups are set.

Wendell Carter had 27 points and 11 rebounds and the Orlando Magic bounced back from a fourth-quarter collapse to beat the Miami Heat 126-114 in overtime Saturday night.

Bam Adebayo scored 26 points and the Miami Heat led comfortably from the first quarter on in a 124-98 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.

Bam Adebayo had 31 points and 10 rebounds, Jimmy Butler added 26 points and the Miami Heat held off the Los Angeles Clippers 115-110 on Thursday night.

Bam Adebayo scored 30 points, including a pair of free throws to put Miami up for good with 35 seconds left, and the Heat rallied from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns 113-112.

Things were much different the last time Stephen Curry played in four consecutive road losses.

A scuffle inspired Toronto, and the Raptors’ response forced the Miami Heat to work a little harder to secure their first win of the season.

Jayson Tatum scored 29 points, Jaylen Brown added 28 and the Boston Celtics topped the Miami Heat 111-104 on Friday night in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals.

The Heat are getting ready for the start of the season.

Tyler Herro and the Miami Heat have agreed on a four-year contract extension that could be worth $130 million, a person with knowledge says.

A’ja Wilson had 24 points and 11 rebounds and the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun 67-64 on Sunday in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals The Aces staved off a late run by the Sun, who erased a seven-point deficit with 1:24 left when Alyssa Thomas hit back-to-back shots to pull Connecticut within three.

The Philadelphia 76ers are being investigated by the NBA for possible tampering in offseason free-agency moves involving James Harden, P.

A frustrated Bam Adebayo tore his jersey apart as he walked off the court after the final buzzer.

Jimmy Butler had 47 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and the Miami Heat forced the Eastern Conference finals to a decisive seventh game by beating the Boston Celtics 111-103 on Friday night.

The Celtics' confidence is high after seizing a 3-2 Eastern Conference finals lead over top seed Miami.

The Boston Celtics took their turn pounding the Miami Heat early.

Celtics point guard and Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart was ruled out for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against Miami.

Heat guard Jimmy Butler will not play in the second half of Game 3 of their Eastern Conference finals matchup with Boston because of inflammation in his right knee.

The Celtics will be without center Robert Williams III will be out for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference finals matchup with the Heat due to soreness and swelling in his left knee.

The Boston Celtics got outworked by the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals but returned the favor in Game 2.

Al Horford and Marcus Smart are coming back.

The Miami Heat are preparing for another tough battle with Boston.

Things have been working out just fine so far in this postseason for Jimmy Butler and the top-seeded Miami Heat.

Boston will be without two starters for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, with Al Horford entering the NBA’s health and safety protocols and Marcus Smart unable to play because of a mid-foot sprain.

Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka and Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra have enormous respect for each other and a bond that stems from their shared history in the sport.

Kyle Lowry has been ruled out Game 6.

The Heat are going to be missing Kyle Lowry in Game 5.

Kyle Lowry’s strained hamstring has sent him back to the bench.

Joel Embiid inspired the Philadelphia 76ers with his return from a facial injury, Danny Green and Tyrese Maxey each scored 21 points and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Miami Heat 99-79 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid returned for Game 3 of the playoff series against Miami after sitting out the first two games with a right orbital fracture and a mild concussion.

Lowry hasn't played since Game 3 of Miami's opening round series against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat are the top seeds in the playoffs and at the moment, they look like it coming off impressive performances.

The Heat will play Game 2 without Kyle Lowry.

Two of the big stars will be out for the first game of the Heat-76ers series.

In Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s mind, the injury situation with Joel Embiid doesn’t doom the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers were up 3-0 in their series against the Toronto Raptors just a few days ago.

Victor Oladipo scored 23 points, Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Miami Heat moved into the Eastern Conference semifinals by beating the Atlanta Hawks 97-94.

Miami leads the best-of-seven series 3-1.

Jimmy Butler scored 13 of his 36 points in a dominant second quarter and the Miami Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 110-86 on Sunday night to take a 3-1 series lead.

The Heat will be without Kyle Lowry for Game 4.

The Heat are holding their breath hoping to have their point guard.

These are Jimmy Butler’s three highest-scoring games in a Miami uniform: 40 points against Milwaukee, 40 points against the Los Angeles Lakers, 45 points against Atlanta.

Game 1s brought greatness out of some.

The Miami Heat are locking in on the Playoffs.

Thursday night the Heat clinched the No. 1 seed in the East by virtue of the Toronto Raptors defeating the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks beating the Boston Celtics.

Kyle Lowry had 16 points and 10 assists against his former team, Max Strus scored all of his 23 points in the second half, and the Miami Heat beat the Toronto Raptors 114-109.

Miami reached the 50-win mark for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

Tyler Herro had 20 for the Heat, who improved to 36-5 when scoring at least 110 points.

Tyrese Maxey scored 13 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter, including nine in a row during a crucial stretch, to lead the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers to a 113-106 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat.

Devin Booker scored 23 points, Mikal Bridges added 21 and the Phoenix Suns shook off a slow start to beat the Miami Heat 111-90 on Wednesday night in a matchup of the NBA’s conference leaders.

Gabe Vincent scored 16 points and Caleb Martin added 14 for the Heat, who are 11-2 in their last 13 games.

Kevin Durant’s return couldn’t stop the Brooklyn Nets’ slide, as Bam Adebayo had 30 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lead the Miami Heat to a 113-107 victory.

Gabe Vincent and Tyler Herro each scored 20 points, and the Miami Heat improved their standing atop the Eastern Conference by topping the Chicago Bulls 112-99.

Kyle Lowry will miss Monday's game against the Chicago Bulls.

Bam Adebayo finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds for Miami.

Miami has won six of their last seven games.

Kyrie Irving scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter.

With the NBA trade deadline looming, it's decision time for teams around the league.

Miami never trailed and maintained a double-digit advantage after outscoring New York 30-16 in the first quarter.

Duncan Robinson scored 25 points while shooting 7 of 11 from 3-point range to lead four Miami players with 20 or more points in the Heat’s 110-96 victory over the New York Knicks.

Trae Young scored 28 points, Kevin Huerter added 21 and the Atlanta Hawks won their third straight game after nearly blowing an 18-point lead in a 110-108 victory over the Miami Heat.

The NBA has rescheduled all 11 games that were postponed in December for virus-related reasons and either shifted the times or dates of 10 other games to help accommodate those changes.

Miami’s previous game scheduled for Wednesday night at San Antonio was postponed because the Heat didn’t have enough players.

Another star Heat player is sidelined.

Kyle Lowry added 14 points for the Heat.

P.J. Tucker had a season-high 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Miami.

Caleb Martin scored a career-high 28 points and the Miami Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks 113-104.

Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane scored 21 points each, and the surging Memphis Grizzlies beat the Miami Heat 105-90.

The NBA is taking away a second-round pick from the Miami Heat.

Duncan Robinson made six 3-pointers and added 22 points for Miami.

Kyle Lowry had 22 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter for Miami.

Malik Monk scored five of his season-high 27 points in overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a big deficit in the final minutes of regulation before surging in overtime for a 120-117 victory over the Miami Heat.

Lowry finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for Miami.

Jimmy Butler scored 20 points for Miami, which lost point guard Kyle Lowry to a sprained left ankle in the third quarter as part of an utterly forgettable night.

Duncan Robinson and Kyle Lowry scored 15 points each for Miami.

Pat Riley is looking forward to the start of the season.

Adam Silver, the basketball fan, would prefer to see Kyrie Irving on the court again with the Brooklyn Nets as soon as possible.

The NBA is welcoming their fans back with hopes everyone plays by the rules again.

The Brooklyn Nets look like such a title favorite that James Harden felt the need for a reminder they aren’t a title team.

The Miami Heat hit the floor for the first time this season.

The Miami Heat are ready for action.

The Miami Heat won’t have to wait long to test themselves against the best in the NBA.

Point guards were the immediate focus when the NBA’s free agency window opened Monday night, with Kyle Lowry headed to the Miami Heat, Lonzo Ball on his way to the Chicago Bulls while Chris Paul and Mike Conley landed lucrative deals to remain with their current teams.

The Miami Heat made a quick splash in free agency.

The Heat offseason is underway.

Jay Wright used to sell tickets to games in the long-defunct United States Football League.

Kyle Lowry had 37 points and 11 assists, Pascal Siakam had 39 points and 13 rebounds and the short-handed Toronto Raptors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 121-114.

Julius Randle had 31 points and 10 rebounds, RJ Barrett had 25 points and 12 boards, and the New York Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors 120-103 for their ninth straight victory.

Pascal Siakam scored 36 points in three quarters and the Toronto Raptors routed the Golden State Warriors 130-77.

Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) celebrates a three-point basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Wednesday, March 24, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)Kyle Lowry wound up staying with Toronto after all. The trade deadline has come and gone. “Anytime you trade a player like Nikola, it is a tough decision to make," Magic President Jeff Weltman said. But Lowry — a free-agent-to-be and considered perhaps the biggest prize on this year's trade market — did not get traded, the Raptors apparently unable to find enough assets to their liking. Questions swirled around Lowry all the way to the 3 p.m. EST deadline, and there were signs that the Raptors were positioning themselves to make the move.

Houston Rockets' John Wall (1) drives on Toronto Raptors' Fred VanVleet (23) during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 22, 2021, in Houston. But Wall had 19 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds, his first triple-double since March 17, 2016. The Rockets closed out the third quarter with an 88-86 lead and opened the fourth quarter on a 9-1 run to pull away. AdThe Raptors led 28-27 at the end of the first quarter. In their losing streak, Houston led after the first quarter only three times, including on Feb. 26 when they led the Raptors 31-30.

USA Basketball is a step closer to choosing the team that will play in this summer’s rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, releasing the names Thursday of 57 players who are part of the pool to fill the squad. It’s also already drawing major interest from some NBA stars who have yet to taste Olympic gold. USA Basketball will pare the list to a 12-person Olympic team by early summer. Jordan, who now plays for Brooklyn, is also a newcomer to the pool even though he was on the 2016 Olympic team. “But for USA Basketball to receive the commitment of so many outstanding players remains an indicator of the great honor of representing your country means to these men.”

(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)TAMPA, Fla. – Norman Powell scored 30 points, Kyle Lowry had a triple-double and the depleted Toronto Raptors beat the Houston Rockets 122-111 on Friday night. AdLowry had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to help the Raptors hand the Rockets their 10th straight loss. Victor Oladipo led the Rockets with 27 points, and John Wall had 21 points and 12 assists. TIP-INSRockets: The last time the Rockets lost 10 straight games was Nov. 23-Dec. 20, 2001 during a 15-game losing streak. Raptors: The Raptors have not been involved in any of the NBA's 29 coronavirus postponements so far this season.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) goes to the basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)New Orleans forward Zion Williamson now can be called an NBA All-Star, and only three others in the game’s 70-year history have gotten there at a younger age. Phoenix’s Chris Paul is an All-Star for the 11th time, and Brooklyn’s James Harden is one for the ninth consecutive year. The rest of the reserves include Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic from the Eastern Conference, along with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Paul George, Utah teammates Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, and Portland’s Damian Lillard from the Western Conference. But this will be his first time in the All-Star Game itself.

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, left, drives around Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)ORLANDO, Fla. – Fred VanVleet set a franchise record with 54 points and hit a career-best 11 3-pointers as the Toronto Raptors beat the short-handed Orlando Magic 123-108 on Tuesday night. AdNorman Powell had 23 points for Toronto, and Kyle Lowry posted a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Orlando, which has lost 12 of 14, tried almost every guard on its roster against the 6-foot-1 VanVleet with little to no success. AdMagic: Orlando was without Gordon, who severely sprained his left ankle later in Sunday’s game against Toronto. Magic: Orlando hosts Chicago on Friday and Saturday in a two-game set.