Video: Derrick Jones Jr. on returning after being poked in both eyes
After the game, Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. had no ill feelings toward Kings guard Cory Joseph.
Joseph accidentally poked Jones in both eyes in the third quarter of the Heat's 118-113 victory in overtime Monday at AmericanAirlines Arena. Jones, who started in place of the injured Jimmy Butler, was originally feared out for the game but returned in overtime. He forced a key turnover in the extra session and finished with seven points, three rebounds and an assist.
"It wasn't nothing purposely,' Jones said. "It was just we were fighting for the ball. His hands just went up a little high."
The Heat improved to 30-13 and a league-best 19-1 at home. They hold a one-game lead over the Toronto Raptors for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference behind the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Heat were playing their sixth game without Jimmy Butler, who was a late scratch because of hip soreness. Miami is now 4-2 with Butler sidelined. In his absence, Kendrick Nunn, a strong candidate for NBA Rookie of the Year, had 25 points and six assists. Forward James Johnson, who once was out of the rotation, finished with a season-high 22 points. Bam Adebayo, the Heat's second All-Star candidate along with Butler, had 16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. He also scored the tying layup that forced overtime on the Heat's final possession in overtime.
With the win, the Heat avoided losing consecutive games for just the second time this season. They resume a five-game homestand Wednesday against the Washington Wizards.
