The Philadelphia 76ers will have to wait at least one more game before clinching the top spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Had they won Thursday, it would have been theirs. But 21 points from Jimmy Butler allowed the Miami Heat to hold off the East's top team and earn a 106-94 victory.
The 39-31 Heat remain in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
As for the 47-23 76ers, Tobias Harris also dropped 21 points, but he had little help behind him in the loss.
Notable Performers
- Jimmy Butler, Heat: 21 PTS, 5 REB
- Bam Adebayo, Heat: 18 PTS, 12 REB, 8 AST
- Tyler Herro, Heat: 18 PTS, 6 REB
- Tobias Harris, 76ers: 21 PTS, 4 REB
- Shake Milton, 76ers: 12 PTS, 4 REB
Jimmy Butler's Hot Start Fuels Heat
The 76ers won both of the previous tilts against the Heat this season, but that was amid the team's COVID-19 outbreak that left it with just eight available players.