MEXICO CITY (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 26 points, Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 13 rebounds and the Miami Heat extended their winning streak to four, beating the San Antonio Spurs 111-101 on Saturday in the first NBA game in Mexico City since 2019. Tyler Herro added 21 points and Duncan Robinson and Max Strauss had 12 each for the Heat. Keldon Johnson scored 22 points for San Antonio. At 9-20, the Spurs are last in the Western Conference.
Miami trailed 84-80 entering the fourth, but a three point-play by Robinson put them ahead 87-86 with 10:31 left. The Heat had a 15-6 run and extended the lead to 103-93 on Adebayo's dunk.
The game was the 31st in Mexico, more than any other country outside of the U.S. and Canada.
Mexican fans packed the glass-clad, $300 million arena that was built in 2012 and hosts the Capitanes team of the G-League.
“I believe you are doing the things to maybe house an NBA team here, the travelling, the climate, the food, the culture is great,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said before the game. “Our manifest destiny is to grow outside of the USA, and it makes sense to expand to the south, a very accessible market, there´s no timeline for it, but there´s no doubt that we will continue to consider Mexico (for expansion)”.
TIP-INS
Heat: Caleb Martin (left ankle sprain) and Udonis Haslem (right Achilles tendinosis) sat out. … The Heat played in Mexico for the second time in their history
Spurs: The Spurs have played in seven of the 31 games held in Mexico in the past 30 years. ... Romeo Langford (foot) sat out.
UP NEXT
Heat: Host Chicago on Tuesday night to open a four-game homestand.
Spurs: At Houston on Monday night in the first of three straight road games.
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