By JIMMY GOLEN By JIMMY GOLEN ADVERTISING AP Sports Writer BOSTON — LeBron James made the go-ahead jumper with 10.5 seconds left to lead the Miami Heat to their 23rd consecutive victory, the second-longest streak in NBA history, with a
By JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer
BOSTON — LeBron James made the go-ahead jumper with 10.5 seconds left to lead the Miami Heat to their 23rd consecutive victory, the second-longest streak in NBA history, with a 105-103 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday night.
The Heat surpassed the 22 straight that Houston won in 2007-08 and trail only the 33 in a row won by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers.
James scored 37 with 12 assists as the Heat won in Boston in the regular season for the first time in 11 tries despite a career-high 43 points from Jeff Green. The Celtics were without Kevin Garnett, who has the flu and a left thigh strain.
Paul Pierce had 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Celtics. But he missed a 3-pointer with 3 seconds left that could have given Boston the win.
Mario Chalmers scored 21 points for Miami, which has not lost since Feb. 1. The Heat had not won in Boston since the New Big Three was formed — including the Celtics’ double-overtime victory on Jan. 27, when Ray Allen returned with his new team.
That was the day Rajon Rondo was diagnosed with an ACL tear that ended his season. This time, it was Garnett who sat out, though coach Doc Rivers said he would have played if the thigh injury had not been compounded by the flu.
Boston led by as many as 17 in the first half, but it was 103-all when Miami got the ball with 33 seconds left. James dribbled down the shot clock before putting up a jumper from the right wing to take the lead.
Green drove into the lane for Boston, but he was stuffed by Shane Battier; the ball went out of bounds and, after replay, was given to the Celtics with 7.1 seconds remaining.
Courtney Lee found Pierce for an open 3-pointer, but it bounced long off the rim and Dwyane Wade, who scored 16, tipped the rebound to the corner and then grabbed it.
The game came exactly five years — to the day — after Boston ended Houston’s 22-game winning streak.
Green had 14 points in the first quarter, when the Celtics scored the last 17 points to open a 31-19 lead. Boston led by as many as 17 in the second, but Miami went on a 15-6 run just before the half to make it a six-point game and then scored the first eight points in the third quarter to take the lead.
76ERS 101, TRAIL BLAZERS 100
PHILADELPHIA — Spencer Hawes had 18 points and 13 rebounds, Jrue Holiday scored 27 points and Philadelphia held off Portland.
The Sixers wasted a 14-point lead and Portland took the lead late in the fourth. Holiday, though, rallied the Sixers and stretched the lead to 101-97 on a pair of free throws.
Damian Lillard hit a 3-pointer to cut it to 101-100. Holiday fell on the inbound pass and the ball sailed into the Sixers’ bench, giving Portland the ball with 7.1 seconds left. LaMarcus Aldridge missed the potential winner on a turnaround over Hawes.
Aldridge had 32 points and 14 rebounds, and Lillard scored 27 points.
NUGGETS 119, BULLS 118, OT
CHICAGO — Andre Iguodala’s 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds left in overtime sent Denver to its 12th consecutive win.
Wilson Chandler led the Nuggets with 35 points, Corey Brewer added 16 and Ty Lawson 13.
Iguodala finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Andre Miller had 13 assists.
Nate Robinson scored 34 points for Chicago, which lost for the seventh time in 11 games. Luol Deng added 21 points, Marco Belinelli scored 18, and Joakim Noah had 12 rebounds and 14 points.
It was the 12th time in the last 13 games that Denver scored at least 100 points, and marked the first time in seven games that an opponent has scored at least 100 on the Nuggets.
BOBCATS 119, WIZARDS 114
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Gerald Henderson had 27 points, Kemba Walker came up big late and Charlotte snapped Washington’s three-game win streak.
Walker scored nine of his 18 points in the final three minutes to spark a 12-0 run, lifting the Bobcats to only their second win in their last 14 games. Walker shot 8 of 14 from the field and had seven assists.
Henderson, who came in averaging 22.5 points over his previous five games, was 8 of 16 from the field and 10 of 11 on free throws. He also tied a career high with eight assists.
Ben Gordon had 19 points and Josh McRoberts added 17 for Charlotte.
John Wall scored 25 points and Nene added 21 for the Wizards, who have lost three of four games this season to the NBA-worst Bobcats.
MAVERICKS 127, HAWKS 113
ATLANTA — Darren Collison scored 24 points and Dallas set season highs for points in a half and a game.
Dallas led 68-55 at halftime and kept adding to the lead in the second half. Dirk Nowitzki, who had 22 points, hit two free throws as the Mavericks reached 100 with their first points of the final period.
Dallas made 57.3 percent of its shots (51 of 89). The Hawks also had a strong night on offense, shooting 5aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa6 percent from the field with eight scorers in double figures, but could come no closer than 11 points in the second half.
Collison made 10 of 14 shots from the field, going 2 of 3 from 3-point range.
Jeff Teague scored 19 points, Al Horford had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Josh Smith added 13 points for Atlanta.
PACERS 111, CAVALIERS 90
CLEVELAND — Gerald Green scored 20 points and Tyler Hansbrough, starting in place of the injured David West, had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead Indiana.
West missed the game with a sprained lower back sustained Saturday against Philadelphia, but the Pacers dominated without their second-leading scorer. Green scored 13 points in the second quarter and Hansbrough, making just his second start of the season, led a balanced attack.
C.J. Miles led Cleveland with 21 points, but injuries continued to plague the Cavaliers. Guard Dion Waiters didn’t play after the first quarter because of a sore left knee and Cleveland played its fourth straight game without All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who is out with a sprained left shoulder.
NETS 119, PISTONS 82
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Deron Williams scored 31 points in 28 minutes, and Brooklyn easily won the opener of an eight-game road trip.
Detroit lost its ninth straight and fell to 2-13 since the All-Star break. Pistons coach Lawrence Frank returned after missing six games to be with his seriously ill wife. Frank is planning to return to New Jersey before Detroit plays Friday in Miami.
The Nets, coming off a 12-point loss to Atlanta on Sunday, pulled within a half-game of New York in the Atlantic Division, with the Knicks playing later Monday at Utah.
Brook Lopez added 18 points and seven rebounds, while former Pistons guard Jerry Stackhouse had 10 points in his first game since Jan. 26.
WARRIORS 93, HORNETS 72
NEW ORLEANS — Stephen Curry scored 30 points and Golden State won easily for the second straight night.
Curry, who scored 29 points in a 30-point victory at Houston on Sunday, made 10 of his 19 field goal attempts, going 6 of 9 on 3-pointers, hitting one from as far as 29 feet.
David Lee added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Klay Thompson scored 13 points for the Warriors.
Ryan Anderson had 21 points and nine rebounds for the Hornets, who came in tied for the Western Conference’s worst record and have lost four straight. Anthony Davis added 16 points and Greivis Vasquez 14.
GRIZZLIES 92, T’WOLVES 77
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mike Conley had 20 points and six assists and Memphis snapped a two-game losing streak.
Conley was 8 of 14 from the field and connected on 3 of 6 from beyond the arc to help Memphis get its 10th straight win in the series. Marc Gasol finished with 16 points and Jerryd Bayless added 15. Zach Randolph had 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Tayshaun Prince scored 12 points and grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds.
Alexey Shved led the Timberwolves with 12 points, and Mickael Gelabale and J.J. Barea finished with 11 apiece. The Timberwolves’ reserves scored 44 points as no Minnesota starter finished in double figures.
Minnesota shot 34 percent and was outscored 50-28 in the paint.
