NBA: Terry Rozier scores 34, helps Heat hold off Knicks

Terry Rozier drilled eight 3-pointers and had 34 points to help the Miami Heat fend off a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by the visiting New York Knicks and hang on for a 109-99 win on Tuesday night.

Rozier knocked down a key 3-pointer with 34.7 seconds left, and Haywood Highsmith followed up with a dunk after a Knicks miss to top off a game-ending 17-7 run.

New York (44-31) trailed for most of the game and fell behind by as many as 16 points late in the third quarter. The Knicks mustered a desperate push and capitalized on a fourth-quarter stretch of over five minutes in which Miami did not score.

Precious Achiuwa finished off a 12-0 Knicks run with a putback to tie things up at 92-92 with 3:59 remaining.

Highsmith responded with a go-ahead 3-pointer to reclaim the lead, and Miami (42-33) was able to pull away for its third straight victory.

Jimmy Butler had 17 points, five rebounds and six assists for the Heat. Bam Adebayo finished with 15 points and nine boards, and Highsmith added 14 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

Miami shot 36-for-74 overall (48.6 percent) and went 17-for-38 (44.7 percent) from 3-point range.

Donte DiVincenzo paced the Knicks with a team-high 31 points, adding four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Miles McBride had 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting, while Jalen Brunson added 20 points and 10 assists but had five turnovers. Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in 16 points off the bench as the Knicks took their third loss in a row.

The Knicks shot 35-for-76 from the field (46.1 percent) and were 12 of 34 (35.3 percent) from beyond the arc.

New York struggled early as both teams clamped down defensively in the first half, and Miami took a 58-43 lead into the break. The Heat were able to avoid getting swept in the three-game season series with the Knicks after dropping the previous two meetings.

Miami sits in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, just a half-game behind the Indiana Pacers. New York is in fifth, holding the same record as the Orlando Magic.

–Field Level Media/Reuters