James, Bryant lead All-NBA team

NEW YORK — LeBron James was the leading vote-getter for the All-NBA team, while Kobe Bryant earned his 10th first-team selection, tied for second on the career list.

Bryant, a first-team pick for the seventh straight season, joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, Michael Jordan, Bob Pettit, and Jerry West with 10 selections to the first team. Karl Malone is the leader with 11.

James, who won his third MVP award, received 118 of a possible 120 first-team votes on Thursday from a panel of U.S. writers and broadcasters. Joining him on the first team were scoring champion Kevin Durant, L.A. Clippers point guard Chris Paul and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

Guards Tony Parker and Russell Westbrook were selected the second team along with forwards Kevin Love and Blake Griffin and center Andrew Bynum.

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James ignites Miami rally

MIAMI — First half, all San Antonio.

Second half, all Miami — and then some.

LeBron James had 33 points and 10 assists, Chris Bosh scored 30 points — the 211-cm forward going coast-to-coast for a dunk to punctuate his effort — and the Heat used a historic third-quarter turnaround to erase what was a 17-point deficit and beat the Spurs 120-98 on Tuesday night, snapping a three-game slide in a most unpredictable manner.

"We have a great luxury with three players who can do special things when you need it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

And one of them was in street clothes. Dwyane Wade sat out his fourth game of the season, this time because of a sprained right ankle. No matter: Miami shot 68 percent in the second half, outscoring the Spurs 71-35 after halftime.

"We should be embarrassed," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said.

For the first 24 minutes, it was the Spurs doing all the embarrassing. San Antonio connected on 12 of its first 15 shots, led 52-35 with 3 minutes to go in the first half, and had Danny Green hit a pair of buzzer-beaters — the first from the top of the key to end the first quarter, the second from near midcourt to beat the halftime horn — to take a 63-49 lead into intermission.

What happened next left both sides befuddled.

"Can't explain it," Bosh said.

Offered Spurs guard Tony Parker: "That's basketball."

Miami outscored San Antonio 39-12 in the third quarter — matching the second-largest differential for any quarter in Heat history, and matching the second-worst differential for a period in Spurs history, according to STATS LLC. James was 7-for-9 in the third quarter. The Spurs — combined — were 4-for-19. James hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to put the Heat up 72-68, and Miami simply never stopped rolling from there.

James finished 12-for-21 from the floor, almost erasing any memory of him missing his first four shots. He was battling a cold, but offered no excuse afterward.

"Hopefully I can get over this in the next couple days where I can get back to myself," James said. "I just tried to push through it in the third quarter. My teammates did a great job of finding me and stepping up defensively. We all did that."

Magic 96, Bobcats 89

In Orlando, Dwight Howard had 25 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Magic to their fifth straight win.

Warriors 105, Cavaliers 95

In Cleveland, David Lee scored a season-high 29 points and Nate Robinson added 17 to carry Golden State.

Bulls 118, Suns 97

In Chicago, Carlos Boozer scored 26 of his season-high 31 points in the first half, leading the short-handed Bulls past Phoenix.

Rockets 97, Pistons 80

In Houston, Samuel Dalembert had 14 points and 12 rebounds, Luis Scola also scored 14 and the Rockets won their fourth straight.

Kyle Lowry had 13 points, five rebounds and five assists for Houston, which outrebounded the Pistons 42-35 to offset 21 turnovers. The Rockets shot 49 percent (40 of 81) from the field and scored 21 points off 17 offensive rebounds.

Nuggets 105, Bucks 95

In Milwaukee, Corey Brewer scored a season-high 22 points as Denver started its five-game road trip with a win.

Jazz 108, Clippers 79

In Salt Lake City, Paul Millsap scored 20 points and reserve C.J. Miles added a season-high 19 as Utah got its 16th straight home win.

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James lifts Wade-less Heat to win over Nets

NEWARK, New Jersey — LeBron James swears he wasn't trying to send a message, though his coach couldn't help but notice.

You're surrounded: Nets guard Deron Williams is swarmed by Heat defenders on Saturday in New Jersey. Miami won 101-90. AP

"You could kind of tell after about halfway through, he took three alley-oop lobs and a 360. I think without even talking to him that kind of spoke to us in volume that he was ready to go," Erik Spoelstra said.

That was during the morning shootaround.

Then James did roughly the same thing against the New Jersey Nets.

James returned to the lineup and scored 22 of his 32 points in the first quarter, and the Miami Heat rolled to a 101-90 victory on Saturday night despite playing without Dwyane Wade.

Wade missed his third straight game with a bruised left foot, but James had the game under control by the time his All-Star teammate arrived at his seat on the bench.

James made his first seven shots, leaping high for dunks, lobs and blocked shots and showing no effects from the sprained left ankle that forced him to miss a game. The NBA's leading scorer added nine assists and seven rebounds.

"If I feel like I'm good to go, then I'm going to go out and play my game," James said. "I'm not going to give no restriction, just try to do the things I do out on the court and I was able to get a couple of breakaways, some easy points, get to the free throw line and I was able to test the ankle out in the first quarter."

Chris Bosh added 16 points after a slow start for the Heat, who won their third straight and ran the NBA's best record to 8-1. They hope to have Wade back when they move to the West for the final three games of a five-game trip.

Mavericks 96, Hornets 81

In Dallas, Vince Carter and Ian Mahinmi had 13 points each as the Mavericks handed New Orleans its sixth consecutive loss.

Carter and Mahinmi led a balanced scoring attack for Dallas (4-5), which won its fourth straight at home and had six players scoring in double figures.

Knicks 103, Pistons 80

In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Amare Stoudemire scored 22 points and Mike Bibby added 16.

Detroit guard Rodney Stuckey sat out with a groin injury, and the Pistons were also without forwards Austin Daye and Charlie Villanueva, who had sore ankles.

Thunder 98, Rockets 95

In Houston, Kevin Durant hit a jumper with 22 seconds left and nailed two free throws to give Oklahoma City a win over the Rockets.

Durant finished with 27 points and six rebounds, Russell Westbrook added 25 points and six assists, and reserve Nazr Mohammed had a season-high 17 points and six rebounds for the Thunder.

Hawks 109, Bulls 94

In Atlanta, Josh Smith scored 25 points, Joe Johnson and Vladimir Radmanovic each added 17 and the Hawks beat Chicago to snap the Bulls' six-game winning streak.

The Bulls, who dropped to 7-2 with the loss, had been off to their best start since going 12-0 in 1996-97

Spurs 121, Nuggets 117

In San Antonio, Danny Green scored a season-high 24 points as the Spurs beat Denver for their sixth straight home win.

Clippers 92, Bucks 86

In Los Angeles, Blake Griffin had 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Caron Butler scored 20 points to lead the Clippers past undermanned Milwaukee.

76ers 97, Raptors 62

In Philadelphia, Andre Iguodala had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday also scored 14 points to lead the Sixers past Toronto for their fourth straight win.

Jazz 88, Warriors 87

In Oakland, Gordon Hayward made a go-ahead free throw with 11 seconds remaining, lifting Utah past Golden State for its fourth straight victory.

Pacers 99, Bobcats 77

In Indianapolis, Roy Hibbert had 20 points, eight rebounds and three blocks despite briefly having to leave the game with a sprained right ankle to lead Indiana to a home victory against Charlotte.

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Bosh carries Heat in triple OT without Wade, James

ATLANTA — There may be no need for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to rush their return from injuries.

Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh proved Thursday night they can play the starring roles for the Miami Heat.

With James and Wade cheering from the bench, Bosh scored 33 points and the Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 116-109 in triple-overtime.

Chalmers had 22 of his 29 points after the third quarter for the Heat, including five of Miami's seven points in the third overtime.

"Coach said I had to be aggressive," Chalmers said.

Wade missed his second straight game with a sore left foot and James was held out after he turned his left ankle late in the third quarter of Wednesday night's 118-83 win over Indiana. Neither star was in uniform.

Bosh hit a last-second, tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation to force the first overtime.

"It was a lucky shot," Bosh said.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said his team survived a test of its character.

"That game, the way it went down in the end, was an exercise in absolute endurance and mental and physical toughness," Spoelstra said.

"Both teams played their hearts out there at the end."

Joe Johnson had 20 points for the Hawks, who did not score in the third extra period. It was only the 10th time in NBA history a team did not score in an overtime period.

Hawks coach Larry Drew said his players ignored his warning against a letdown if James and Wade didn't play.

"There was a total, total mental letdown," Drew said. "I didn't see the sense of urgency I saw in Miami," Drew said. "The tendency is to let your guard down, and we certainly did tonight."

Kings 103, Bucks 100

In Sacramento, Tyreke Evans made four free throws in the final minute to finish with 26 points, and the Kings overcame a 21-point halftime deficit to stun Milwaukee.

Spurs 93, Mavericks 71

In San Antonio, Matt Bonner scored 17 points and the Spurs limited Dirk Nowitzki to just six in a win over Dallas.

Trail Blazers 107, Lakers 96

In Portland, Gerald Wallace had 31 points and sparked a key third-quarter run to lead the Trail Blazers to a fast-paced victory over Los Angeles.

SACRAMENTO CALIFORNIA — If the Sacramento Kings stood any chance at success this season, Paul Westphal had to find a way to control talented but volatile center DeMarcus Cousins.

He couldn't — and lost his job because of it.

The Kings fired Westphal Thursday after two-plus seasons as coach, cutting ties amid a slow start and an escalating dispute with Cousins.

Assistant Keith Smart, let go by the Golden State Warriors in April after one season at the helm, signed a deal to become the team's new head coach.

With the Cousins-Westphal spat showing no resolution, Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof finally decided to take action.

Instead of trading away a promising young big man, they made Westphal the first firing of the lockout-shortened season.

"We're in a situation here where you can't take a philosophical vacation because things are happening in real time," Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said. "You start to keep seeing the same things over and over again, you can't sit around and meditate forever about how you're going to approach them or try and change them."

A talented and athletic — albeit raw — roster entered Thursday night's home game against Milwaukee with a 2-5 record and in last place in the Pacific Division. Westphal finished with a 51-120 record in Sacramento.

In a statement released by the team, Westphal thanked the Maloofs, his coaching staff and players for the opportunity.

"While the job is far from finished, I am proud of the strides we were able to make," he said.

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James, Wade spoil Mavs' party

DALLAS — While Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks were on the court celebrating the championship they won over LeBron James and Dwyane Wade last season, the Miami Heat were gathered in another part of the building.

It wasn't because they dreaded watching the ceremony, they insisted.

They were simply getting ready to show everyone why they are favored to win it all this season.

James and Wade led a series of scoring waves that put Miami ahead by 35 points midway through the third quarter Sunday, the lead peaking when James soared to the rim and tipped an alley-oop pass to Wade so he could have the dunk instead. The game was essentially over then, although the Mavs reserves fueled a late rally that made the final score look close, 105-94.

"We tried to play aggressive," James said. "We're a focused team. We had a great training camp. We came in with the same mind-set we had at practice, use our speed and play with mental focus."

James finished with 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Wade had 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Miami scored at least 30 points in each of the first three quarters.

"Celebration or not, we had a game plan and implemented it," Wade said. "We came out and played a good game."

The blowout had less to do with an emotional hangover and more to do with exposing the slow process of breaking in a new rotation. Dallas lost center Tyson Chandler and backup point guard J.J. Barea and added guard Vince Carter, do-it-all Lamar Odom and backup guard Delonte West.

"We're going to have to forge an identity with this team; it's a different team," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "That's work, and it's going to take honesty, and it's not going to be easy."

Bulls 88, Lakers 87

In Los Angeles, Derrick Rose drove the lane and lofted home a smooth floating shot for the winning points in the Bulls' opener, just in case anybody doubted the youngest MVP in NBA history can shoulder the expectations that come bundled with that shiny new trophy and a huge contract extension.

Yet Rose realized the Bulls' dramatic comeback and his beautiful winner were only possible because Luol Deng did a whole mess of dirty work against Kobe Bryant.

Rose scored 22 points and hit a short go-ahead shot with 4.8 seconds to play, and the Bulls rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final 3:44.

"If it weren't for my teammates, making the steal and getting the ball to me at the end, there's no way I could have gotten that shot off to help us win that game," Rose said.

Knicks 106, Celtics 104

In New York, Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks know it will never be easy against the Celtics.

Not beating them in one game, and certainly not beating them for a division title.

But pulling out the kind of nail-biter that's long gone Boston's way in this rivalry only reinforced the Knicks' belief that they can do it — and even the Celtics see a difference.

Anthony scored 37 points, including a pair of free throws with the game tied and 16 seconds left, and New York survived a seesaw season opener.

"Most importantly for us, as a new team, we showed something," Anthony said. "We came together as a team. Even when we got down, there wasn't no frowns. Nobody was down. Mentally everybody was still up about it, and we willed our way to this win."

Thunder 97, Magic 89

In Oklahoma City, the Thunder come into the new season with lofty goals. They looked very much like a contender in their opener.

Kevin Durant scored 30 points to help the Thunder win their opener with a victory over Orlando, a team that has been dealing with Dwight Howard's trade demands.

While Durant shined, Howard struggled, held to just 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting.

"We know that there are outside expectations," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "But there aren't absolutes or guarantees. Our guys just work. I know it gets boring at times, but we like that. We're not going to change. We're all in the same boat on that. You can never become complacent. It has to be about the team."

Durant led the league in scoring the past two seasons, including averaging 27.7 last season. On Sunday, he was 11-of-19 from the field and added five rebounds and six assists.

Clippers 105, Warriors 86

In Oakland, California, prize acquisition Chris Paul had 20 points and nine assists in his much-anticipated Clippers debut, Blake Griffin added 22 points and seven rebounds and Los Angeles beat the Warriors to spoil Mark Jackson's opener as a first-time coach.

Monta Ellis had 15 points and eight assists after his grandmother's death earlier in the day in Mississippi and David Lee added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Warriors, who cut the Clippers' lead to 78-77 with 9:35 left on Brandon Rush's 3-pointer before Los Angeles pulled away.

Paul had an unspectacular first half: seven points on 1-for-6 shooting in 19 minutes. But he came on with several clutch baskets in the waning minutes to finish 7-for-12.

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Close friendship brings out best in Heat's Wade, James

MIAMI — Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are known to bicker like brothers. They screamed at one another more than once during Miami Heat playoff games last season. And when they're on opposite teams in practice, they attack the other like they would any opponent.

Double trouble: Dwyane Wade (left) and LeBron James share a joke during a preseason game against the Magic last week. AP PHOTO

Now they're closer than ever.

And on the cusp of entering Year 2 together with the Heat, Wade and James opened up about their friendship Friday.

"I don't think many players that have the similar games as we have or have done the things that we did in the league can come together this fast and make it work," Wade said. "That communication is there. I don't mind him saying something to me. I don't mind when I have to say something to him. We know how to make it work."

They have so much in common that both find it almost funny sometimes.

Forget the obvious stuff: They're both among the NBA's highest-paid players, then make another truckload of money annually in endorsements. They're both among the league's best scorers, perennial All-Stars, among the most recognizable athletes in the world. What's often forgotten is the ties that really bind, like both having difficult times as kids, relying on one parent at a time and soon understanding that basketball was the vehicle for changing their lives.

James is 203 cm, Wade is 193 cm. James is from Akron, Ohio, Wade from Chicago. James loves tattoos, Wade doesn't have any. James went to the NBA straight out of high school, Wade went to college first.

Nonetheless, Wade and James basically look at each other as mirror images.

"That had a lot to do with me coming down here," James said. "There's nothing that I've seen that he hasn't seen, and vice versa. To be able to be alongside him, be with him every day and basically go through the same things on the court and off the court, it's great. Sometimes you're able to sit back and see things from a different perspective instead of everybody watching you."

They take their cues from each other, whether it is fashion, workout regimens or just where to sit sometimes. For Friday's post-practice interview, Wade slid his body down a wall in a room adjacent to the Heat training facility, slumping to the floor.

"Tired," Wade said.

Two minutes later, James entered the room. Even though he didn't see how Wade took his seat, he did the same thing, putting his back to the wall and sliding to the red carpet.

"Tired," James said.

Maybe it's more than a coincidence.

"What's the saying? Iron sharpens iron. Greatness breeds greatness," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "So you see an example of that next to you. Those guys want to be challenged. Those guys like to be challenged. They do not accept the success that they've had and where they are right now. They're always trying to push to go to the next level. And there's no better way for them to do that than to have an equal peer next to them, pushing them."

The biggest question when Wade, James and Chris Bosh teamed up in July 2010 was will it work?

There have been bumps in the road, and likely there will be a few more — but they are making it work.

James finished second in the league in scoring, Wade finished fourth. Since 1965, the only other time two teammates were among the NBA's top four scorers, and played for a team that went to the NBA Finals was 2001, when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal did it for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Of course, Bryant and O'Neal won the title; Dallas beat Miami in last season's Finals. And James and Wade will get yet another reminder of that defeat Sunday when the Heat open their season against the Mavericks — and watch the new champs raise their title banner.

"For us, getting better is not necessarily going to show in our numbers," Wade said. "It's going to show in our leadership. It's going to show in those moments where we get in those games like the Finals where we're up 10 in the fourth quarter, how do we help our team get that win no matter what's going on in the game. It's more so that, not just how we score the ball, rebound, pass. We're going to have those numbers. It's the other things."

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James, Wade power Heat past Mavericks

Heating up: Heat forward LeBron James goes up for a dunk against the Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday in Miami. The Heat won 92-84 to take a 1-0 lead in the series. AP

MIAMI — Dwyane Wade's night began with a hug for his mom. It ended with an embrace from LeBron James.

And the Miami Heat have struck first in the NBA Finals.

James scored 24 points for his first win in five Finals game appearances, Wade added 22 points and 10 rebounds and the Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks 92-84 in Game 1 of the title series on Tuesday night.

Chris Bosh scored 19 points and Mario Chalmers added 12 for Miami, which hosts Game 2 on Thursday night.

"I just was aggressive," Wade said. "We understand that this is the kind of game we wanted to play. We had them where we wanted them in the sense of points. You know they (weren't) scoring a lot on us and offensively we just executed and guys made plays."

The Heat trailed by eight points early in the third quarter before pulling away, remaining unbeaten at home in these playoffs and snapping Dallas' five-game road winning streak.

Wade's 3-pointer with 3:06 left put the Heat up 82-73, then the largest lead of the game for either team.

The Mavs shaved two points off it on the next possession when Dirk Nowitzki hit two free throws, but James gave the Heat their first double-digit lead of the night a few seconds later.

He dribbled upcourt against Shawn Marion, crossed his dribble over and got clear for a dunk while being fouled. The free throw made it 85-75, and most in the sellout, white-clad crowd began standing in anticipation.

Even then, it wasn't over.

Nowitzki made two more free throws — he was 12-for-12 from the line in the game — with 1:36 left, cutting the Miami lead to six.

A momentary blip.

Wade grabbed a key defensive rebound, dribbled away from three Dallas pursuers and found Bosh for a dunk with 1:08 left that restored the 10-point lead. Another dunk by James came with 38.6 seconds left, sealing the outcome.

"By and large, we've got to play better, just overall," said Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, especially noting Miami's 16-6 edge in offensive rebounds.

Nowitzki scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Dallas, which got 16 points and 10 rebounds from Marion and 12 from Jason Terry — most of those coming in an early flurry. It was Dallas' fifth straight loss to Miami in Finals games, dating to the Heat rally for the 2006 crown.

"We aren't going to win too many games getting 67 shots. . . . That's not us," Marion said.

Dallas had 51 points after 26 minutes. The Mavericks scored 18 points in the next 18 minutes, 33 over the remainder of the game, as Miami's defense found another gear.

"That's kind of the way we've been winning games, of late," Wade said. "You've got to stay with it. You can't get frustrated because the ball's not going in. There's other ways you can dominate the game and we (were) able to do that tonight.

"I thought we did a great job in the second half of rebounding the ball, limiting them to one shot as much as possible."

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James turns up heat on Celtics

MIAMI (AP) If this was an Eastern Conference semifinals preview, then the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics showed what to expect.

Few pleasantries. Pushing and shoving. And maybe a Game 7 in Miami.

LeBron James scored 27 points, Dwyane Wade added 14 and the Heat moved closer to the No. 2 seed in the East playoffs Sunday by beating the sliding Celtics 100-77.

"It was a playoff-atmosphere type of game, from the fans to both teams' approach to what the game meant," Wade said. "It had that feel."

Miami moved a game ahead of Boston, trimming its magic number to clinch the second seed to two. The teams will finish second and third in some order behind Chicago in the East, slotted to play in the conference semifinals.

"We'd like to play them, I can tell you that," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "And we may have to if we want to go somewhere."

Chris Bosh added 13 points and eight rebounds for Miami, which had been 0-3 against Boston this season, though Heat coach Erik Spoelstra cautioned against overstating the win's importance.

"We proved we can beat them tonight," Spoelstra said. "That's about it, in my mind."

Paul Pierce scored 24 points and Kevin Garnett added 21 for Boston, which lost for the 10th time in its last 19 games. The Celtics were outrebounded 42-26, and outscored 44-26 in the paint.

"What else do you expect? It's Boston-Miami," Garnett said. "Supposedly it's two of, if not the top two, teams in the East. You have to expect that. You have to expect that coming in here you're not going to get the call. You had to expect their passion — a team you have beaten three times."

The Heat finally solved the Boston hex, beating the Celtics for the third time in the last 21 meetings. Bosh had been 1-13 against Boston since March 2007, and the Celtics ended both the 2009-10 seasons for Wade and James.

Bulls 102, Magic 99

In Orlando, Derrick Rose had 39 points and five assists, and Luol Deng added 15 points.

Grizzlies 111, Hornets 89

In Memphis, O.J. Mayo scored 18 points, Marc Gasol added 16 and the Grizzlies continued their march to the postseason.

Pistons 112, Bobcats 101

In Charlotte, Rodney Stuckey scored 24 points, fellow reserve Charlie Villanueva added 20 and Detroit recovered from a terrible start.

Raptors 99, Nets 92

In Toronto, Jerryd Bayless scored 19 points and James Johnson had a season-high 18.

Thunder 120, Lakers 106

In Los Angeles, Kevin Durant scored 31 points, Russell Westbrook added 26 and Oklahoma City sent the Lakers to their fifth straight loss.

Knicks 110, Pacers 109

In Indianapolis, Carmelo Anthony scored 34 points, making the go-ahead jumper with 4.9 seconds left and blocking a potential winning attempt.

Mavericks 115, Suns 90

In Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion led the Mavs over Phoenix, keeping alive hopes of snagging the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Kings 104, Warriors 103

In Oakland, Calif., Marcus Thornton scored 21 points and made several big shots late.

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