Field Level Media
Mar 5, 2018
Hassan Whiteside scored 24 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked three shots as the host Miami Heat defeated the Phoenix Suns 125-103 on Monday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Suns star guard Devin Booker, a 2015 first-round pick out of Kentucky, scored a game-high 31 points. It was his eighth straight game scoring at least 20 points. It was also his 21st game this season scoring at least 30 points.
Point guard Goran Dragic, a former Suns star, scored 17 points as Miami (34-30) tied the Milwaukee Bucks for seventh place in the Eastern Conference. In addition, Miami has the tiebreaker over Milwaukee, having won the season series.
Heat forward Justise Winslow had a double-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.
Miami forward Luke Babbitt scored 12 points and tied his career high with four 3-pointers. He nearly had another 3-pointer when he banked in a 50-foot shot, but he released the ball just after the halftime buzzer sounded.
Heat shooting guard Tyler Johnson, who had been starting, returned after missing two consecutive games to a leg injury. This time, he came off the bench and scored five points in 18 minutes.
Wayne Ellington, another Heat shooting guard, missed his third straight game due to a similar leg injury.
Suns point guard Elfrid Payton, coming off a triple-double against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, was held to nine points.
Phoenix forward TJ Warren, coming off a 35-point game against Atlanta, wasn't as prolific this time. He scored 19 points.
Suns rookie guard Shaquille Harrison, who made his NBA debut two weeks ago after being bypassed in the 2016 draft, scored six points. His brother, Miami Marlins outfield prospect Monte Harrison, was at courtside and watched Shaquille play an NBA game for the first time.
Babbitt, who missed his first three shots, made his next four - all from 3-point range. His 12-point first quarter gave a boost to the Heat, who led 30-27 heading into the second. For the Suns, Booker had 10 first-quarter points.
The Heat stretched their lead to 61-48 at halftime. They shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half, including 47.4 percent on 3-pointers (9 of 19). Phoenix shot 43.9 percent from the floor, including 28.6 percent on 3-pointers (4 of 14).
Whiteside scored 15 points in the third quarter as Miami maintained its 13-point lead. Miami led 93-80 after three quarters, shooting 52.2 percent to that point.
The Heat turned the game into a rout in the fourth period, finishing with 51.1 percent shooting from the floor.
-- Field Level Media