James, Heat get back to their winning ways
LeBron James scored 36 points, hitting six consecutive three-pointers in less than six minutes during the first half, and the Miami Heat rebounded from their first loss in nearly two months to beat the Hornets, 108-89, Friday night in New Orleans.
LeBron James scored 36 points, hitting six consecutive three-pointers in less than six minutes during the first half, and the Miami Heat rebounded from their first loss in nearly two months to beat the Hornets, 108-89, Friday night in New Orleans.
The Heat, whose 27-game winning streak ended in Chicago on Wednesday, looked ready to start a new one while clinching the top seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs. James kept shooting three-pointers after making his first one with 1 minute, 55 seconds left in the first quarter, and he did not miss until he already had set a season high with his sixth.
Wolves stun Thunder
Nikola Pekovic had 22 points and 15 rebounds and Ricky Rubio added 17 points and seven assists to help the Timberwolves stun the Oklahoma City Thunder, 101-93, in Minneapolis.
Chase Budinger scored 13 points off the bench and Andrei Kirilenko played superb defense on Thunder star Kevin Durant in the second half to help the Wolves deal the Thunder the setback.
Elsewhere: J.R. Smith scored 37 points, his third consecutive 30-point outing, and the Knicks beat the Charlotte Bobcats, 111-102, in New York. . . . Tim Duncan had a season-high 34 points, including a game-winning three-point play with 2.2 seconds left, and the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the visiting Los Angeles Clippers, 104-102. . . . Paul Pierce had 20 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds, and Jeff Green scored 27 points to carry the host Boston Celtics to a 118-107 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Riley to Ainge: Shut up
Miami Heat president Pat Riley has added another chapter to his rivalry with the Boston Celtics.
After LeBron James complained about calls and Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge chided him for it, Riley lashed back Friday night.
Riley's response: "Danny Ainge needs to shut the [expletive] up and manage his own team."
This saga started Wednesday after Miami's 27-game winning streak ended in Chicago. James told reporters that night that he does not believe some of the hard fouls he takes are "basketball plays." A day later, Ainge told Boston radio station WEEI that "it's almost embarrassing that LeBron would complain about officiating."
Clippers sign Wayns
The Los Angeles Clippers have signed guard Maalik Wayns for the rest of the season.
The Clippers announced the deal Friday for Wayns, a former Roman Catholic High standout and an undrafted rookie from Villanova.
- Associated Press