LeBron James scored 36 points, Chris Bosh had a double-double and the Heat beat the Suns 95-83 last night in Phoenix to set up a Christmas Day showdown with the Lakers.
Miami played without star guard Dwyane Wade (knee), but didn’t need him the way James and Bosh slashed through Phoenix’s defense.
James raised eyebrows before the game, saying it might not be such a bad thing if the “watered down” NBA were to contract. On the court, he showcased his usual fly-through-the-air flair, earning oohs and aahs from the star-studded crowd when it wasn’t booing him.
Bosh chipped in 23 points and 11 rebounds, helping the Heat win their eighth road game with a big one coming up against the two-time defending champions.
Phoenix debuted most of its refurbished lineup, missing only Vince Carter due to a sore left knee. Marcin Gortat and Mickael Pietrus had little impact — six combined points — and the Suns had no answer for two-thirds of Miami’s star trio in losing for the sixth time in eight games.
Jared Dudley scored 33 points and Steve Nash had 18 assists but took just four shots and scored four points.
Magic 123, Spurs 101
In Orlando, Fla., Gilbert Arenas had 14 points and nine assists off the bench, and the reconstructed Magic cruised past the Spurs last night to snap the Spurs’ 10-game winning streak.
Arenas added six rebounds backing up a sick Jameer Nelson, fellow newcomer Jason Richardson had 15 points and the Magic snapped a skid of eight losses in nine games to win for the first time since they orchestrated two blockbuster trades.
Dwight Howard also had 29 points and 14 rebounds in another dominant performance for Orlando, which shot 59 percent from the floor.
Tony Parker scored 16 points, Tim Duncan had 12 and the NBA-best Spurs (25-4) dropped their first game in almost a month.
Bucks 84, Kings 79
In Sacramento, Calif., Earl Boykins scored nine of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, rallying the Bucks to a victory over the skidding Kings.
The win was the second straight for Milwaukee without starting point guard Brandon Jennings, who underwent foot surgery Monday and will miss four to six weeks. Milwaukee was coming off an inspiring road victory Tuesday against the Lakers.
Andrew Bogut had 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Bucks, who outscored the Kings 22-15 in the fourth period. It was the seventh consecutive loss for Sacramento.