Tyler Herro drops 31 points as Heat get back to .500 with road win over Wizards

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tyler Herro scored a career-high 31 points and Jimmy Butler nearly had a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Miami Heat beat the short-handed Washington Wizards 128-124 on Saturday night.

Miami (4-4) has alternated wins and losses through its first eight games. The Wizards (2-8) lost their third straight game and are winless in five home games.

Washington played without the NBA’s leading scorer, Bradley Beal, who was a late scratch when he was placed in the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocol.

They were also without their other starting guard, Russell Westbrook, out with a left quad injury. Westbrook, who had triple-doubles in his first four games with the Wizards, was intending to play the second half of a back-to-back for the first time after sitting out the first two.

Washington’s starting center, Thomas Bryant, suffered a left knee injury less than two minutes into the game, and didn’t return.

Garrison Mathews led the Wizards with 22 points. Deni Avdija scored 20.

The Heat, which led nearly all the way, outscored the Wizards 28-15 in the third quarter to take a 103-86 lead.

TIP-INS

Heat: G Goran Dragic had 21 points on seven 3-pointers. … C Bam Adebayo had 16 rebounds despite playing only 21 minutes due to foul trouble.

Wizards: Coach Scott Brooks was assessed a technical in the fourth quarter. … The Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G League affiliate, will flex assign players to the Erie Bayhawks, New Orleans’ G League affiliate, during the season that begins next month in Orlando, Florida.