NBA: Heat shake off Sixers, win 99-79

Saturday, February 4, 2012

PHILADELPHIA -- Miami's Dwyane Wade scored 26 points to lead the Heat to a 99-79 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday (US time), putting the hosts back in their place with a convincing victory in the clash between two NBA divisional leaders.

Coming off wins against Orlando and Chicago, the Sixers were aiming to complete a hat trick of home wins over the league's big guns, but could not go the distance against Wade, LeBron James — 19 points and 12 rebounds — and company.

Wade made a pair of ferocious dunks during the game-changing 15-0 run in the fourth quarter that turned a tight game into a comfortable win that pushed the Sixers' first sellout crowd of the season toward the exits.

Thaddeus Young scored 16 points for the Sixers, whose four-game winning streak was ended.

Magic 102, Cavaliers 94

In Orlando, Dwight Howard scored 19 points, had 16 rebounds and blocked eight shots as Orlando outlasted Cleveland.

Jason Richardson also had 19 points in his return from a knee injury as the Magic won their seventh straight over the Cavaliers, despite playing without injured starting point guard Jameer Nelson and suspended reserve big man Glen Davis.

Alonzo Gee scored 20 points for the Cavaliers.

Timberwolves 108, Nets 105

In Newark, New Jersey, Luke Ridnour made the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:23 left and Minnesota held on to edge New Jersey.

Nikola Pekovic scored a career-high 27 points for the Timberwolves, who have already surpassed their road victory total from last season by improving to 6-4, including the past three.

Anthony Morrow recorded a career-high 42 points for the Nets, including eight 3-pointers which set a new high for the NBA this season.

Pistons 88, Bucks 80

In Auburn Hills, Michigan, rookie Brandon Knight scored a season-high 26 points, holding his own against Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings and helping Detroit snap a seven-game slide.

Knight, who was outscored 21-0 by Jennings in a loss at Milwaukee on Monday, helped the Pistons build a 15-point lead in the third quarter.

Milwaukee went on an 11-0 run spanning the end of the third and beginning of the fourth, and Detroit led by only four with 2:54 remaining. Knight responded with a floater, followed moments later by a driving shot off the glass, and the Pistons held on.

Jennings scored 20 points, but only seven after the first quarter.

Raptors 106, Wizards 89

In Toronto, Leandro Barbosa shook off flulike symptoms to score 19 points and lead Toronto over Washington.

Amir Johnson had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who bounced back from consecutive blowout losses and won only their second game of 11 missed by leading scorer Andrea Bargnani, who is out with a strained left calf.

Barbosa missed Friday's shootaround with illness but showed no ill effects, scoring nine points in the second quarter and had six more in the third.

Nick Young scored 21 points for the Wizards, who lost their third straight. (AP)