MIAMI – For three quarters, the Miami Heat looked stagnant, nothing like the team with the NBA’s best record over the last five weeks.
One big run was all the Heat needed to break free again.
Dwyane Wade scored 34 points, LeBron James added 25 points and nine assists, and the sizzling Miami Heat pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 101-89 on Tuesday night for their 19th win in 20 games.
Chris Bosh finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Heat, who trailed most of the third quarter before putting together a 32-13 burst, sealed by a 13-0 run in the final minutes.
It was Miami’s final home game for two weeks; the Heat start a five-game, 10-day trip in Milwaukee on Friday. Miami has won 11 straight away rom home.
John Salmons scored 18 points for Milwaukee, which got 16 from Andrew Bogut and 14 from former Heat guard Keyon Dooling. The Bucks were outrebounded 47-34.
In Los Angeles, Pau Gasol scored 21 points and the Lakers finally found a sub.-500 team they could beat easily.
Kobe Bryant added 17 points, moving him past DominiqueWilkins ijnto 10th’s on the NBA’s career scoring list with 26,671. Andrew Bynum finished with 13 points after scoring eight of the Lakers’ first 14 points of the game.
Lamar Odom had 16 in the 108-83 win.
Tracy McGrady and Greg Monroe scored 14 points each, and Tayshaun Prince added 12 for the Pistons, who lost their fifth straight to the Lakers and fell to 3-16 on the road.
The Lakers had lost four of their previous six, including three at home. They had mixed results against their last two sub.-500 opponents, barely beating Philadelphia 102-98 before losing to Memphis 104-85.
Tuesday’s other NBA results.
Knicks 128, Spurs 115
Mavericks 84, Trail Blazers 81
Grizzlies 110, Thunder 105
Hawks 108, Kings 102
Bulls 111, Raptors 91
