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Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat handles the ball during the first half of an NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on January 06, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Heat defeated the Suns 104-96. Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP
Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 35 points, and the Miami Heat set an NBA record by making all 40 free throws in a 112-111 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.
Miami, which finished the second half with only eight players available, also got 22 points from Max Strus and 19 from Victor Oladipo.
Butler, the only regular starter in Miami’s lineup, made all 23 free throws, tying Dominique Wilkins for the second-most shots in NBA history.
Jimmy Butler and-1 won the game and gave @MiamiHEAT NEW NBA RECORD 40 FREE THROWS WITHOUT A LOSE 🤯 pic.twitter.com/AZMDhUbWf8
— NBA (@NBA) January 11, 2023
Oklahoma City led 111-109 with 21 seconds left when Kenrich Williams missed two free throws. Aaron Wiggins grabbed an offensive rebound, but Oladipo stole the ball and Butler made it a three-point play with a layup with 12.2 seconds left.
That gave Miami a 112-111 lead, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a 3-pointer on Oklahoma City’s final possession of the game.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored a team-high 26 points to lead the Thunder, and Josh Giddey had a triple-double with 18 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Thunder have lost six straight road games since beating Atlanta on Dec. 5.
The Heat are without Bam Adebayo (wrist), Tyler Herro (foot), Kyle Lowry (knee), Caleb Martin (quad), Duncan Robinson (finger), Omer Yurtseven (ankle) and Nikola Jovic (back).
Additionally, hot center Dewayne Dedmon was ejected with 9:15 left in the second quarter. He had a heated argument with the coach and threw something onto the court, causing his ejection.
Given the short roster, undrafted Heat rookie Orlando Robinson made his first NBA start, scoring four points.
Miami led 31-26 after a first quarter that featured only two points by Gilgeous-Alexander. Miami extended its lead to 63-56 at halftime, but Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 in the second quarter to lead the Thunder by 17 at the half.
Oklahoma City took its first lead of the game, 78-77, on Isaiah Joe’s 3-pointer with 5:24 left in the third quarter. But the Heat ended the third with an 89-88 lead.
The fourth quarter featured a six-point Heat possession – two Oladipo free throws after a steal and a flagrant lane violation, then a Gabe Vincent 3-pointer and a free throw after a foul by Tre Mann.
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