KEL’EL Ware’s 19 points and career-high 17 rebounds helped lead a makeshift Miami Heat lineup to a 117-105 home win on Monday (Tuesday in Manila) over the slumping Philadelphia Sixers, who lost their 12th straight game.
Miami (36-43) rebounded from a two-game skid and won without Bam Adebayo, who was scratched from the lineup due to back spasms. The Heat moved within a half-game of the ninth-place Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference play-in race.
Adebayo’s absence provided Ware the opportunity to start at center, and he delivered his highest-scoring performance since March 15. Ware’s personal-best work on the glass also gave him his second double-double in the last three games.
Ware was one of four Heat starters to score in double-figures, including Tyler Herro with 20 points. Herro returned from a thigh contusion and shot 2-of-4 from 3-point range en route to his team high in scoring, but also committed seven turnovers.
One of Herro’s turnovers came amid an 11-0 Philadelphia run midway through the third period.
After trailing by as many as 14 in the second quarter, the Sixers (23-56) took the lead on that tear, which included a pair of 3-pointers from Quentin Grimes and another triple from Lonnie Walker IV.
In the other game,Zach LaVine scored a season-high 43 points, DeMarDeRozan added 37 points and the visiting Sacramento Kings beat the Detroit Pistons 127-117 for their third straight win.
DomantasSabonis recorded a triple-double with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for Sacramento (39-40), which erased an 18-point first-half deficit. Off the bench, Jonas Valanciunas added 10 points and 12 rebounds.
LaVine, who was 8-of-11 shooting from 3-point range, made six 3-pointers and scored 30 points in the second half for the Kings, who led 119-112 on Trey Lyles’ layup with 3:32 left in regulation.
Detroit pulled within 122-114 with 2:05 left before LaVine scored the next five points to seal the Kings’ victory. LaVine’s eight 3-pointers matched a season high.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit (43-36) with 35 points on 13-of-21 shooting from the field. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 19 points, Ausar Thompson added 15 and Malik Beasley had 14 off the bench.
With their fourth loss in five games, the Pistons are 1 1/2 games behind the fifth-place Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference.
