MIAMI (AP) — LeBron James scored 31 points, Dwyane Wade added 23 and the Miami Heat used a huge third quarter to run away and eventually rout the New York Knicks 108-82 on Thursday night.

James donned a dark mask to protect his broken nose and was clearly unencumbered, hitting 13 of 19 shots and topping 30 points for the fifth consecutive game.

Wade shot 10 for 13 from the field, and Miami outscored New York 23-3 over the final 7:02 of the third and won its sixth straight. The Heat shot 61 percent, while the Knicks shot 37 percent.

Wizards beat Raptors
134-129 in triple OT

TORONTO (AP) — Trevor Ariza scored the go-ahead basket on a fast-break layup with 1:20 left in the third overtime and Washington outlasted Toronto for its fifth straight victory.

Marcin Gortat fouled out with 31 points and 12 rebounds, John Wall also had 31 points, and Ariza fouled out with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Roy Hibbert leads Pacers past Bucks, 101-96

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Roy Hibbert had 24 points and 12 rebounds to help Indiana rally to beat Milwaukee.

Paul George and Lance Stephenson each scored 18 points for NBA-leading Indiana. The Pacers, 44-13 overall and an NBA-best 28-3 at home, blew a 17-point lead in the first half.

The Bucks, an NBA-worst 11-46, tied it at 50 at the half and built a six-point lead in the third quarter. Brandon Knight had 23 points for Milwaukee, and Khris Middleton added 22.

Pierce scores 18, Nets rebound in rout of Nuggets

DENVER (AP) — Paul Pierce scored 18 points and the Brooklyn Nets rebounded from their worst loss in 11 years by routing the slumping Denver Nuggets 112-89 on Thursday night.

Joe Johnson, Marcus Thornton, and Mason Plumlee each added 10 points for the Nets, who snapped a six-game losing streak in Denver. The Nets hadn’t won in the Mile High City since a 112-102 victory on Jan. 27, 2007.

Randy Foye had 15 points to lead Denver, which has lost four in a row and nine of 10.



Brooklyn’s 7-foot center Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player appearing in his third game since being signed to a 10-day contract, was given a round of applause from the crowd when he entered the game for the first time with 8:02 left. Collins finished with three points.