SAN ANTONIO - Chris Bosh scored 23 points, including a winning three-pointer with 1.9 seconds remaining, and the Miami Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs 88-86 on Sunday night with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers sitting out due to injuries.
Ray Allen had 14 points, Norris Cole added 13 and Mike Miller 12 for Miami (58-15), which swept the season series with San Antonio (55-18). By earning the head-to-head tiebreaker with San Antonio, the Heat essentially have a four-game cushion with nine remaining for the league’s best record and home-court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs.
Tim Duncan had 17 points and 12 rebounds and Kawhi Leonard added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, who a seven-game home winning streak snapped. Danny Green and Tony Parker added 12 points apiece and Stephen Jackson had 11.
Bosh finished 3 for 5 on three-pointers, including the final shot from straightaway in the closing seconds. He let out a loud yell after making the shot and celebrated with teammates when Parker’s jumper bounced off the backboard as the buzzer sounded.
The game was similar to Miami’s 105-100 victory Nov. 29 against San Antonio, when the Spurs’ reserves nearly toppled the Heat. This time the reserves prevailed, however.
James and Wade were surprise late scratches while Chalmers did not play Friday in New Orleans and was listed as day-to-day with a sprained right ankle.
James strained his right hamstring in the first half of Friday’s 108-89 victory at New Orleans, according to the Heat. He continued to play despite the injury, however, scoring 36 points in 32 minutes prior to sitting out late in the blowout victory.
Wade injured his right ankle in Miami’s 101-97 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, which snapped the Heat’s 27-game winning streak.
Sports, Pages 17 on 04/01/2013