Hot Heat beats Kings as winning streak reaches seven

By Paul Levine Feb 22, 2012, 7:36 GMT

Los Angeles - The Miami Heat warmed up for a showdown against Linsanity by staying on fire.

Dwyane Wade had 30 points with 10 assists, Mario Chalmers hit six threes en route to 20 points and the Heat ran its winning streak to seven Tuesday, beating the visiting Sacramento Kings 120-108.

'We weren't necessarily sharp consistently throughout the game but we did some nice things in spurts and in stretches,' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

'You have to give the Kings credit, they played very well. They have some weapons on that young team. If they get into a rhythm and get some confidence, they can be very dangerous and they pushed us until the very end.'

Chris Bosh also scored 20 points while LeBron James had 18 and Norris Cole contributed 12 for NBA-best Miami (26-7), which pulled away late to beat its lowly but stubborn guests for its seventh straight double digit victory during the streak.

'We know teams are going to play better than they usually play against us and that's OK,' James said. 'It takes four quarters and we continue to weather the storm and continue to do what we need to do to win games.'

The Heat will turn its attention to the eagerly-awaited match-up against the Jeremy Lin-led New York Knicks, who visit American Airlines Arena on Thursday.

The overnight global sensation, Lin is averaging around 25 points and nine assists per game while leading the resurgent Knicks to eight wins in the last 10 games, since the bench-warming point guard was inserted into the rotation.

'It's going to be fun. It's going to be electrifying,' James said. 'This is a rivalry between the Heat and the Knicks. It could be one of most watched games in a long time, especially with what Jeremy Lin has been doing and what we've been doing as a team.'

Isaiah Thomas poured in 20 of his 24 points in the third quarter for the Kings, who fell for the sixth straight time. Marcus Thornton scored 23, and Tyreke Evans finished with 21 points and 10 assists.

'We had to play a perfect game to win against this team and we were pretty close except for a few moments,' Kings coach Keith Smart said. 'But when you give up 25 points off turnovers you're not going to beat many teams.'

Wade scored 17 points as the Heat led 57-53 at halftime and 93-88 after three quarters despite Thomas' monster outburst.

With Wade and James on the bench, the Heat reserves went on a game-breaking 9-0 run midway through the final frame, extending a five-point lead to 106-92 cushion before cruising to its 17th win in the last 20 games.

Elsewhere: Portland Trail Blazers 137, San Antonio Spurs 97: LaMarcus Aldridge scored 21 points, Jamal Crawford had 20 to pace seven teammates in double figures and the Trail Blazers snapped the Spurs' NBA-season-high 11-game winning streak with the largest margin of victory in the all-time series.

The Spurs, 7-1 on their current nine-game road trip, were without their 'Big Three' of Tim Duncan and Frenchman Tony Parker, who were given the night off, while Argentine Manu Ginobili is sidelined with a strained oblique.

Memphis Grizzlies 89, Philadelphia 76ers 76: Spaniard Marc Gasol had 15 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, as the host Grizzlies sent the stumbling Sixers to their fourth straight defeat.

Indiana Pacers 117, New Orleans Hornets 108: Roy Hibbert had a career-high 30 points with 13 rebounds, and the Pacers used a 10-0 run in overtime to take the sting out of the visiting Hornets.

Cleveland Cavaliers 101, Detroit Pistons 100: Antawn Jamison scored 32 points, rookie Kyrie Irving added 17 of his 25 in the final quarter, and the Cavaliers rallied from 17 down to slip past the visiting Pistons.

Brandon Knight netted 24 points for the Pistons, whose three-game win streak was halted.