Miami (AP)— The Miami Heat beаt the Brooklyn Nets 122-115 on Thursday night to extend the NBA’s best winning run to seven games. Jimmy Butler scored 18 of his 36 points in the third quarter.

The Heat have won seven consecutive for the first time since Dec. 30, 2017-Jan. 14, 2018. Duncan Robinson added 26. Bam Adebayo scored 20 for Miami.

Brooklyn had won five straight over Miami, and Mikal Bridges and Lonnie Walker IV each scored 23. For the Nets, Nic Claxton scored 16 on 7/7 shooting and Cam Johnson added 16.

Miami defeated to Brooklyn on Nov. 1 to start 1-4, Erik Spoelstra’s worst five-game start in 16 seasons. The Heat haven’t lost since and are 8-4, tied for Spoelstra’s fourth-best 12-game start. They opened 9-3 on three times.

Butler’s third-quarter 18 points tied his Heat regular-season high from two earlier times. He has 18, 21, and 22 quarters in playoff games for Miami.

The Heat will play eight arenas in nine games over 18 days. Only the United Center in Chicago will be visited twice in that time, where they’ll launch a two-game set against the Bulls on Saturday night to start a five-game trip.

With 3:40 left in the first half, Johnson became the 12th player in the NBA to have four fouls before halftime and the second Nets player in as many games after Claxton against Orlando on Tuesday. Kevin Love drew Johnson’s fourth оffensive foul.

He went to the bench. The Heat took off.

They led 60-52 at halftime after a 14-0 run, 12 of which came after Love charged Johnson. They went 0 for 7 with three turnovers, the last of which came when Butler stripped Royce O’Neale and set up Haywood Highsmith for a basket with 4 seconds left.

Miami led throughout the second half.

Up next

On Sunday, Nets host Philadelphia.

Travel to Chicago on Saturday.