Heat live to fight 1 more day after spirited win over Cavs
The last two playoff spots in the NBA's Eastern Conference will come down to the final game of the season for three teams after the Miami Heat's 124-121 overtime victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
As the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls sat waiting to punch their postseason tickets with a Miami loss, the Heat spoiled that by coming back from a 15-point deficit to hand Cleveland its 13th straight defeat at American Airlines Arena. With or without LeBron James, the Cavs have not won in Miami now since Jan. 25, 2010.
James and Kyrie Irving were rested for Cleveland which dropped to second in the East with the loss, a game behind the Boston Celtics.
In a contest that wasn't pretty at times, the surprise star for the Cavs was Deron Williams, who scored 35 points - his highest output since another unlikely scoring explosion as a member of the Brooklyn Nets against the Atlanta Hawks in a 2015 playoff game - dished nine assists, and grabbed seven rebounds.
He also had 10 turnovers.
Related: Cavs' Williams hits ridiculous 4-point play in OT vs. Heat
In order to make the playoffs, the Heat must win their season finale Wednesday against the Washington Wizards, and get help in the form of either a Pacers loss to the Hawks or a Bulls defeat at the hands of the Nets.