Adebayo has 23 points and 12 rebounds as the Heat pound the Pelicans 153-104.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Bam Adebayo had 23 points and 12 rebounds in just 22 minutes, and the Miami Heat defeated reeling and injury-depleted New Orleans 153-104 on Friday night in what became the Pelicans' most lopsided regular-season loss in franchise history.

Tyler Herro, who also played just 22 minutes, scored 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and Duncan Robinson scored 21 points in 19 minutes for Miami, which never trailed and led by as many as 52.

Despite the victory, the Heat's chances of moving up to the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference vanished when Chicago also won to clinch that spot.

The Heat will be the 10th seed, and open the postseason with a play-in game on Wednesday night at Chicago. The victor will need to win a second play-in contest to advance to a first-round playoff series.

Jamal Cain scored 25 points and Antonio Reeves added 19 points for the Pelicans, who've lost six straight. Elfrid Payton had 13 assists and 10 rebounds.

Heat: Ten Miami players scored at least 10 points. That tied an NBA record that had occurred eight previous times, but not since 1994. Pelle Larsson (ankle) and Isaiah Stevens (foot) didn’t play.

Pelicans: For the second night in a row, New Orleans used just eight players, seven of whom had played in Thursday night's loss at Milwaukee. Alvarado was the only Pelican in the lineup who did not play Thursday. Active players who did not suit up against Miami included Karlo Matkovic (left hamstring), Brandon Boston Jr. (ankle), Kelly Olynyk (achilles), Yves Missi (ankle), Jordan Hawkins (back) and Bruce Brown (knee).

Herro's 3-pointer to open the second half ignited a 10-0 Heat run that gave Miami an 81-54 lead.

The Heat outshot the Pelicans, 55.8% (58 of 104 ) to 40% (38 of 95), and outscored New Orleans 70-46 in the paint.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

New Orleans Pelicans forward Keion Brooks Jr. (0) gets past Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) for a reverse layup in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) throws down a dunk while getting pushed in the back by New Orleans Pelicans forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (50) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)

Miami Heat guards Tyler Herro (14) and Davion Mitchell, right, help center Bam Adebayo (13) off the floor in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in New Orleans, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)

New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, left, tries to steal the ball from Miami Heat guard Alec Burks (18) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) passes the ball to a teammate between New Orleans Pelicans guard Elfrid Payton, left, and forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (50) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) pulls down a defensive rebound against New Orleans Pelicans center Kylor Kelley (35) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Two Belgian teenagers were charged Tuesday with wildlife piracy after they were found with thousands of ants packed in test tubes in what Kenyan authorities said was part of a trend in trafficking smaller and lesser known species.

Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, two 19-year-olds who were arrested on April 5 with 5,000 ants at a guest house, appeared distraught during their appearance before a magistrate in Nairobi and were comforted in the courtroom by relatives. They told the magistrate they were collecting the ants for fun and did not know that it was illegal.

In a separate criminal case, Kenyan Dennis Ng’ang’a and Vietnamese Duh Hung Nguyen also were charged with illegal trafficking in the same courtroom, following their arrest while in possession of 400 ants.

The Kenya Wildlife Service said the four men were involved in trafficking the ants to markets in Europe and Asia, and that the species included messor cephalotes, a distinctive, large and red-colored harvester ant native to East Africa.

The illegal export of the ants "not only undermines Kenya’s sovereign rights over its biodiversity but also deprives local communities and research institutions of potential ecological and economic benefits,” KWS said in a statement.

Kenya has in the past fought against the trafficking of body parts of larger species of wild animals such as elephants, rhinos and pangolins among others. But the cases against the four men represent "a shift in trafficking trends — from iconic large mammals to lesser-known yet ecologically critical species,” KWS said.

The two Belgians were arrested in Kenya’s Nakuru county, which is home to various national parks. The 5,000 ants were found in a guest house where they were staying, and were packed in 2,244 test tubes that had been filled with cotton wool to enable the ants to survive for months.

The other two men were arrested in Nairobi where they were found to have 400 ants in their apartments.

Kenyan authorities valued the ants at 1 million shillings ($7,700). The prices for ants can vary greatly according to the species and the market.

Philip Muruthi, a vice president for conservation at the Africa Wildlife Foundation in Nairobi, said ants play the role of enriching soils, enabling germination and providing food for species such as birds.

“The thing is, when you see a healthy forest, like Ngong forest, you don’t think about what is making it healthy. It is the relationships all the way from the bacteria to the ants to the bigger things,” he said.

Muruthi warned of the risk of trafficking species and exporting diseases to the agricultural industry of the destination countries.

“Even if there is trade, it should be regulated and nobody should be taking our resources just like that,” he said.

Kenyan officials display live queen ants insects that were destined for Europe and Asia, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, April. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Belgian national Lornoy David, who admitted to charges related to the illegal possession and trafficking of live queen ants to sell as exotic pets, appears at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, April. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Belgian national Seppe Lodewijckx, who admitted to charges related to the illegal possession and trafficking of live queen ants to sell as exotic pets, appears at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, April. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A relative hugs Belgian national Seppe Lodewijckx, right, who is charged to related illegal possession and trafficking of live queen ants to sell as exotic pets, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, April. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Relatives hug Belgian national Lornoy David, centre, who is charged to related illegal possession and trafficking of live queen ants to sell as exotic pets, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, April. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nguyen, left, and Kenyan national Dennis Ng'ang'a who are charged to the illegal possession and trafficking of live queen ants to sell as exotic pets, appear at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, April. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Belgian nationals Lornoy David, left, and Seppe Lodewijckx, right, who admitted to charges related to the illegal possession and trafficking of live queen ants to sell as exotic pets, appear at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, April. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)