Heat use balanced scoring as Pelicans lose 11th straight

Tyler Herro scored 32 points to lead five Miami scorers in double figures and the host Heat defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 119-108 on Wednesday night.

Bam Adebayo added 23 points and 10 assists, Duncan Robinson scored 17, Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 12 and Kel'el Ware added 10 for the Heat. Jimmy Butler returned from a five-game absence due to a flu-like illness and finished with nine points in 25 minutes.

Guard Terry Rozier served a one-game suspension that he received for his role in a skirmish in the final minute of a 104-100 victory at Houston on Sunday.

Trey Murphy III scored 34 points - one off his season high -- CJ McCollum added 22, Brandon Boston had 14 and Dejounte Murray added 12 to lead the NBA-worst Pelicans, who lost their 11th consecutive game and for the 20th time in 21 games.

Miami scored the first five points of the second half to take a 61-51 lead. McCollum made three consecutive Pelicans field goals to pull them within three points.

Robinson answered with seven consecutive Heat points to give them an 80-70 lead. New Orleans scored the next four points, but Miami finished with a 10-2 run that gave it a 90-76 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Pelicans crept within 111-104 within on a 3-pointer by McCollum with 2:47 left, but they didn't get any closer.

The Heat scored the first seven points of the game and raced to a 20-5 lead as Adebayo scored five points and Herro added four. The Pelicans pulled within six points before Ware scored five straight points to help Miami take a 30-19 lead.

Nikola Jovic beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer that gave the Heat a 36-24 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Miami expanded the lead to 17 points before Murphy scored 13 points to help New Orleans close within 50-49. Butler and Herro each made a 3-pointer and the Heat took a 56-51 lead at halftime.

--Field Level Media