Jimmy Butler scores 24 to help Heat fend off Celtics

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An untimely losing streak has left the Miami Heat with some late-season competition for the Eastern Conference’s top seed.

They took a step toward regaining some of the ground they lost recently against one of their chief challengers.

Jimmy Butler scored 24 points, Kyle Lowry added 23 and the Miami Heat rallied in the fourth quarter to hold off the Boston Celtics 106-98 on Wednesday night to stay atop the tight race for the conference’s top seed.

Bam Adebayo finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds as Miami posted its second straight win since a season-worst four-game losing streak.

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Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 30, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

"I think we did a good job of just communicating and being there for each other," Lowry said.

After briefly taking over the East’s top spot, Boston has lost two in a row for the first time since late January.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Jayson Tatum added 23 points and six assists.

Despite the loss, Tatum said in the long run it will help strengthen the mettle of this team.

"It’s a good thing for us to learn from," Tatum said. "The season is not decided today. We've still got games to play, playoffs. So, we'll be good."

The back-and-forth game had very much the intensity of a playoff matchup, featuring nine ties and 16 lead changes.

Trailing by four points entering the fourth, Miami outscored Boston 27-15 over the final 12 minutes with a level of execution that has