NBA: LeBron scores 43 in win over Atlanta

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ATLANTA (AP) - LeBron James scored 43 points, including 23 in a dominant third quarter, and the Miami Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 106-85 on Friday night.

Chris Bosh had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Dwyane Wade had 14 points as Miami rolled to the runaway win in its first visit of the season to Atlanta.

James made 16 of 21 shots, including five 3-pointers.

The Heat took the lead for good midway through the opening period and put the game away in such convincing fashion that James and the other starters sat out the final period.

Pacers 115, Bulls 108, OT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Tyler Hansbrough had 29 points and 12 rebounds to help Indiana beat Chicago in overtime, snapping the Bulls' eight-game winning streak.

Danny Granger scored 19 points and Darren Collison added 17 for the Pacers, who have won three of four.

Derrick Rose tied a career high with 42 points for the Bulls. He scored 19 points in the fourth quarter and made three free throws with 1.2 seconds left to force overtime. Luol Deng added 21 points for the Bulls.

Chicago entered the game with the best record in the Eastern Conference, and could have been the first team in the East to win 50 games.

Chicago forward Carlos Boozer missed his fifth straight game with an injured left ankle.

Spurs 97, Mavericks 91

DALLAS (AP) - Tony Parker scored 33 points, Manu Ginobili had 25 and Tim Duncan added 22, lifting San Antonio over Dallas.

Playing for the first time since losing to Miami by 30 on Monday night, the Spurs looked hungry and rested from the start, jumping ahead by 18 early in the second quarter. Then the Mavericks cranked up the defense and made things interesting.

Dallas tied it at 60 and was within a basket of tying it again midway through the fourth quarter when San Antonio's trio of stars got rolling again. They sparked a 13-2 run that ended any drama and gave the Spurs a 3-1 win in the season series between the in-state rivals.

Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 23 points.

Rockets 93, Celtics 77

HOUSTON (AP) - Kevin Martin scored 25 points, rookie Patrick Patterson had 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds and Houston routed Boston.

Kyle Lowry scored 20 and had nine assists and Chuck Hayes had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Rockets, who've won three in a row and moved within 1 1/2 games of Memphis in the race for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Jeff Green scored 17 points and Glen Davis added 16 for the Celtics, who've lost four of six. Boston slipped a half game behind Chicago for the best record in the East.

Paul Pierce scored 10 points, but went 2 for 10 from the field, and Rajon Rondo had only four points on 2-for-11 shooting. Boston's point total was a season low for a Rockets' opponent.

Magic 85, Nuggets 82

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Jameer Nelson swished a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer to give Orlando a dramatic win over Denver.

The Magic led most of the final period, but struggled at the line and let the Nuggets tie the game with 5.7 seconds to play.

Dwight Howard led five Magic players in double figures with 16 points and 18 rebounds. Hedo Turkoglu had 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Nelson, Brandon Bass and Jason Richardson all added 13 points.

Wilson Chandler scored 20 points, Danilo Gallinari added 17 and Nene 14 for the Nuggets, who had a four-game winning streak snapped and lost for the 17th time in their last 18 trips to Orlando.

Pistons 99, Knicks 95

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - Chris Wilcox threw down a one-handed dunk off a missed shot with 53 seconds left, and Detroit rallied from an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat New York.

After Wilcox's dunk gave Detroit a two-point lead, Carmelo Anthony drove past Tayshaun Prince, but Wilcox was there defensively to force a missed shot. After Will Bynum missed on the Pistons' next possession, Wilcox helped keep the ball alive, and Detroit came up with it. Bynum made two free throws with 11 seconds left for the final margin.

Anthony felt he was fouled on his drive in the final minute. He finished with six points on 2 of 12 shooting.

Lakers 106, Timberwolves 98

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Pau Gasol scored 25 points, Kobe Bryant added 18 on his sprained left ankle, and Los Angeles overcame Andrew Bynum's fourth-quarter ejection to beat Minnesota for the 15th straight time.

Bynum had 10 points and 14 rebounds before getting tossed with 6:16 to play for a flagrant foul against Michael Beasley, who crashed to the floor after Bynum clobbered him on a drive.

Despite a rusty return from a three-day break, Los Angeles has won 11 of 12 since All-Star weekend.

Wes Johnson scored a career-high 29 points for the Timberwolves, who have lost 14 of 18. Beasley scored 18 points before leaving with apparent hip pain from Bynum's foul.

Thunder 99, Bobcats 82

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Kevin Durant scored 25 points, Serge Ibaka added 12 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots, and Oklahoma City beat Charlotte.

James Harden added 21 points for the Thunder, who extended their winning streak to a season-best six games, all against Eastern Conference foes. The Thunder are 22-6 this season against the East with two games left, including against Toronto on Sunday.

The Thunder had won their last three games with defense, limiting Cleveland, Washington and Miami to sub-40 percent shooting. Charlotte shot 44.6 percent but the Thunder hit 52.8 percent of their shots and went on a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter to break open a tight game.

76ers 102, Kings 80

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Jrue Holiday had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Philadelphia built an early double-digit lead in coasting past Sacramento.

The 76ers led by 26 after three quarters and moved ahead of the New York Knicks into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia is a half-game in front of the Knicks and three behind Atlanta, which is fifth.

DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Kings, who committed 22 turnovers. Sacramento has lost eight of nine and owns the worst record (16-51) in the Western Conference.

Omri Casspi scored 14 points and Beno Udrih had 13.

Suns 108, Warriors 97

PHOENIX (AP) - Channing Frye scored 17 points in his return from a dislocated right shoulder, and Phoenix beat Golden State to stop a four-game losing streak.

Though 11th in the Western Conference, Phoenix (34-33) pulled within two games of Memphis for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Frye, wearing a brace under his jersey to stabilize the shoulder, missed his first four shots but was key to the offense with guard Vince Carter struggling to make shots. Frye hit a 3-pointer and got a follow dunk in the fourth quarter that kept Phoenix comfortably in the lead.

Carter missed his first nine shots, but Steve Nash and Grant Hill each scored 17 points.

Bucks 110, Nets 95

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Carlos Delfino scored 26 points, making a career-high eight 3-pointers, and Milwaukee beat New Jersey to halt a three-game losing streak.

John Salmons added 25 points to help the Bucks, who still cling to hopes they can reach the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Milwaukee (27-41) is 2 1/2 games behind eighth-place Indiana and a game back of Charlotte in the Eastern Conference with 14 to play. The Bucks also are hoping to get Drew Gooden, Ersan Ilyasova and Michael Redd back from injuries in the next week.

Brook Lopez scored 25 points for his ninth straight game with at least 20, while Deron Williams had another tough shooting night despite 18 points as the Nets lost their second in two nights.

Raptors 116, Wizards 107

TORONTO (AP) - Andrea Bargnani scored 33 points, DeMar DeRozan had 30 and Toronto handed hapless Washington its 13th loss in 14 games.

Jose Calderon had 17 points and Leandro Barbosa scored 15 for the Raptors, who won for just the sixth time in 31 games. Toronto had lost seven of nine.

Washington rookie Trevor Booker fouled out after scoring a career-high 26 points and matching his career best with 13 rebounds. One game after scoring a career-high 27 points, rookie Jordan Crawford had 25 for the Wizards.

Washington is 1-31 on the road, where it must play nine of its final 15 games.

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