Photo: Peter Baba

Following tough losses to Utah and Sacramento at the start of Jimmy Butler’s seven-game suspension, the Miami Heat managed to turn things around with a much-needed victory over Portland on Saturday, marking their third consecutive win.

As reported by Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, two players who were previously believed to be part of the Heat’s trade package for then-Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard played key roles in securing the win.

Tyler Herro led the way with a game-high 32 points, while Nikola Jovic delivered a season-best performance, contributing 21 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra expressed his satisfaction with Jovic’s development, saying, “I like his improvement. He’s playing with more consistency. He’s preparing with more consistency.”

Jovic has spent three seasons with the Miami Heat, averaging 8.0 points and 3.7 rebounds over 89 regular-season games.