Miami Heat

Heat outscore Rockets 46-14 in 1st quarter, set team mark

Published Nov. 3, 2019 6:58 p.m. ET

MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Heat outscored the Houston Rockets 46-14 in the first quarter on Sunday night, the 32-point margin representing the third-biggest lead after 12 minutes in the NBA's shot-clock era.

It was the biggest margin by which the Heat had ever outscored an opponent in any quarter, topping a 28-point gap against the New York Knicks on Jan. 22, 2007. It also was the highest point total that the Rockets had ever been outscored by in a quarter; the previous was a 28-point third quarter gap by the Atlanta Hawks against the then-San Diego Rockets on Feb. 11, 1970.

The only bigger one-quarter margins since the shot clock went into effect in 1954 were the Los Angeles Lakers leading the Sacramento Kings 40-4 after one quarter on Feb. 4, 1987; the Buffalo Braves outscoring the Boston Celtics 58-23 in the fourth quarter of a game Oct. 20, 1972 that Boston won anyway; and the Baltimore Bullets leading the Kansas City-Omaha Kings 45-12 after one quarter on Dec. 9, 1972.

The 46 points were also Miami's third-highest scoring quarter in franchise history. Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 13 points in the record-setting quarter.