Primoz Brezec had a career-high 27 points and 11 rebounds Saturday to lead the Charlotte Bobcats to one of their most surprising wins of the season, a 94-92 victory over the Miami Heat.
With Charlotte up 94-91, Jason Hart fouled Miami star Dwyane Wade, who went to the line and made his first free throw with 4 seconds to play. He missed the second and got his own rebound, but his 3-pointer from the corner missed at the buzzer.
"I was just trying to win the game," Brezec said. "We've lost so many games in the final seconds. We had to get this one, we led most of the way. I am glad we were able to finish it out."
PHOTO: AFP
Gerald Wallace added 17 points for Charlotte and Emeka Okafor had 12 before leaving with a sprained left ankle late in the third quarter. Brevin Knight had 16 assists.
Shaquille O'Neal led the Heat with 26 points and 16 rebounds, and Wade finished with 19 points. Miami (53-17) leads the NBA's overall standings, a half-game in front of Phoenix. The Heat beat the Suns 125-115 on Friday night in Miami.
"This one is my fault tonight," O'Neal said. "I've got to get the guys more ready. We took them too lightly, and I take the blame. As the leader of the team, it's my job to get the guys fired up. It won't ever happen again."
Suns 118, Magic 116
In Orlando, Florida, Shawn Marion had 27 points and 14 rebounds, Joe Johnson added 26 points, and Steve Nash had 23 points and 12 assists to lead Phoenix over Orlando.
Grant Hill led Orlando with 26 points, DeShawn Stevenson added 22, and Steve Francis, playing for the first time following a three-game suspension, had 17 points and nine assists. The Magic have lost 10 of their last 11 games.
Timberwolves 96, Nets 75
In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Sam Cassell scored 23 points in just 22 minutes, and Kevin Garnett had 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as Minnesota downed New Jersey.
Cassell, who has missed eight of 13 games this month and 23 of the last 39 because of a hamstring injury, shot 10-for-13 and had four rebounds and three assists.
Vince Carter scored 16 points for New Jersey.
Mavericks 117, Cavaliers 86
In Dallas, Michael Finley scored 26 points, making all eight of his 3-pointers, and Dallas beat Cleveland for its largest margin of victory this season.
Keith Van Horn added 23 points and Jason Terry had 14 as six Mavericks reached double figures. While Dirk Nowitzki had an off night shooting (3-for-12 for 11 points), he had 14 rebounds and five blocked shots.
LeBron James had 19 points and six assists in 36 minutes.
Trail Blazers 103, Knicks 96
In Portland, Oregon, Damon Stoudamire had 25 points and Portland beat New York, winning for only the second time since Kevin Pritchard took over as coach.
Tim Thomas had 30 points and Stephon Marbury added 21 points and 11 assists for the Knicks, who continue to struggle on the road. New York, which has lost 16 of its last 18 road games, fell five games behind idle Philadelphia for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 17 points and Ruben Patterson had 16 for the Blazers.
The bomb threat that delayed the NBA matchup between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers for 85 minutes on Friday was one of four received that night regarding the game, police said.
The game was delayed after a caller told officials at The Palace there was a bomb in the visiting Pacers' locker room.
It was Indiana's first trip back to Detroit since a brawl last November between the teams that spilled into the stands, and back onto the court.
"Detectives are working with Palace personnel and their phone provider in an attempt to identify the person who called in the threat," police Lieutenant James Manning said in a statement on Saturday.
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