The Miami Heat returned to the FTX Arena and also welcomed back Jimmy Butler in a surprisingly thrilling 124-118 win against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. The win puts them in sole possession of second place in the Eastern Conference.
Just two days after cruising to victory in Atlanta, it appeared that the same outcome would happen again when Miami — clearly enjoying themselves back home after such a lengthy amount of time — took an early 17-point lead. Max Strus was lethal from the outside, scoring all 16 of his points in the first quarter and making his case to become the permanent starter.