The Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young figured the game was over. Turns out, Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat were just getting started — on one of the craziest statistics nights in team history.
Duncan Robinson on Tuesday tied a franchise record with 10 three-pointers, while Butler and Bam Adebayo each had triple-doubles as the Heat went on a late flurry to beat the Atlanta Hawks 135-121 in overtime.
The Heat were down by six with 59 seconds left in regulation, the moment when Young took a celebratory walk back to the Hawks bench for a timeout — with Butler hearing him say: “It’s over.”
Photo: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY
The Heat scored the next 22 points – the last six of regulation and then the first 16 of overtime — to improve their record to 18-6 overall and 11-0 at home.
“I don’t think anybody really thought the Heat were relevant,” Adebayo told reporters. “We’re making people watch us.”
Kendrick Nunn scored a career-high 36 points, one off the Heat rookie single-game record, as Robinson scored 34, a career high. Adebayo finished with a career-high 30 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, while Butler had 20 points, a career-high 18 rebounds and 10 assists.
Afterward, Butler could not resist a little jab at Young on Instagram — a post that other NBA players, such as the Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, quickly noticed.
“Everybody in this locker room has the confidence that they’re the best player on the floor at any given time,” Butler said. “Man, when you’ve got guys who think like that, nothing’s ever over.”
It was the NBA’s widest margin of victory in an overtime game since Oct. 31, 2009, when the Philadelphia 76ers beat the New York Knicks 141-127.
De’Andre Hunter scored 28 points, while Young added 21 points and nine assists for the Hawks, who fell to 0-3 against the Heat this season.
“What’s tough is Robinson goes 10-for-14, a career high, two guys had triple-doubles, they played out of their minds for a little bit with a couple of guys and we still had a six-point lead with under a minute to go,” Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said. “I feel bad.”
Vince Carter — in the 1,500th regular-season game of his career — scored 12 for the Hawks, while Jabari Parker had 16 points and Cam Reddish added 12.
The Hawks used a 13-0 run to take an eight-point lead early in the fourth quarter, before the Heat clawed back and eventually tied the game at 111-111 on a three-pointer by Robinson with 3 minutes, 11 seconds left.
Atlanta scored the next four to retake the lead, Butler missed a pair of free throws with 1:18 left and Alex Len had a dunk on the next Hawks possession for a 117-111 lead.
The rest was all the Heat.
“Our energy was dead as soon as overtime started,” Young said.
In other words, it was over.
Also on Tuesday, it was:
‧ 76ers 97, Nuggets 92
‧ Hornets 114, Wizards 107
‧ Trail Blazers 115, Knicks 87
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