SAN FRANCISCO — Tyler Herro had 26 points and seven rebounds to help the short-handed Miami Heat beat the Golden State Warriors 114-102 for their fourth straight victory.
Star forward Jimmy Butler sat out his fourth straight game because of a strained left calf, while Kyle Lowry (soreness), Caleb Martin (sprained right ankle) and Josh Richardson (back discomfort) also were unavailable for the Heat.
Jamal Cain added 18 points and six rebounds and Bam Adebayo and Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 17 points apiece as Miami kicked off a five-game West Coast swing.
“It’s just a testament to our gratitude, the guys’ next-man-up mentality,” Herro said according to AP. “Just coming in here and being able to fulfill guys that are out, being able to fulfill those spots.”
Even knowing the Heat was not at full strength, coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors were bracing for a tough one.
“They played good games, they played hard, and that´s what coach was preaching before the game: They are going to come out even harder than they would if they had their starters,” said Trayce Jackson-Davis, who had 10 points and 11 rebounds for Golden State.
Elsewhere, LeBron James had 17 points and 11 assists two days before his 39th birthday, Anthony Davis had 26 points and eight rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers sent the Charlotte Hornets to their ninth straight loss with a 133-112 victory.
Rui Hachimura scored 17 points and Austin Reaves had 16 for the Lakers, who won for just the third time in nine games since winning the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament nearly three weeks ago.
Los Angeles pulled away from the struggling Hornets with a blazing 41-point third quarter led by Hachimura and James, who scored 12 points apiece.
Los Angeles surged to a 28-point lead early in the fourth, and coach Darvin Ham rested James and Davis for the full final quarter of a rare blowout victory for these Lakers, who have only eight double-digit victories all year.
“Guys were playing for each other, playing the right way,” said Davis, who also blocked four shots.
“Anytime I’m able to bank some minutes, especially going into a tough back-to-back in Minnesota and New Orleans, it helps us as a team.”
James may be the NBA´s oldest player, but he shows zero sign of slowing down in his 21st season. He hit two 3-pointers while quarterbacking the offense for long stretches, and he led the decisive third-quarter rally. Los Angeles finished with a season-high 41 assists.
“It’s always good things that happen when the ball is in his hands,” Davis said. “He makes great reads. He’s a student of the game. He’s seen every coverage and made a lot of great reads throughout his career, so every time we can get the ball in his hands, it’s good for us.”
D’Angelo Russell scored 16 points while hitting four 3-pointers for the Lakers, including the 1,300th of his career. Reaves provided the highlight of the second half with a slick behind-the-back move to get past Terry Rozier for a layup while Los Angeles ran away.
“I believe that every time we step on the court, we can beat anybody we play,” Reaves said. “But just really figuring out what our identity is, in my opinion, the main thing, because we can be so good when we figure that out.”
Miles Bridges scored 20 points and Rozier had 18 for the Hornets, who are on their franchise’s longest skid since late 2014.
Charlotte hung with the Lakers throughout the first half, but struggled against LA’s zone defense after halftime and eventually lost its second straight game at this shared downtown arena to begin a six-game trip.
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