Quentin Richardson scored 15, including two big 3-pointers in the final minutes, for the Heat. Michael Beasley also had 15 points, while Jermaine O’Nealand Carlos Arroyo each added 14 for Miami, which moved a half-game ahead of Charlotte in the race for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Heat also got within two games of Toronto for the No. 5 seed.
Anthony Morrowscored 24 points, C.J. Watson had 20 and Stephen Curryadded 18 for Golden State.
In Auburn Hills, Mich., Nate Robinson scored 14 points in 16 minutes, Rajon Rondo added 15 points and 11 assists, and Boston beat Detroit.
The Celtics, playing for the first time since a humiliating home loss to the NBA-worst New Jersey Nets on Saturday, got 18 points from Ray Allen.
Jonas Jerebko scored 16 points for Detroit, which lost its fourth straight.
In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 24 points, hitting 14 of 15 free throws, and Los Angeles pulled away with a dominating third-quarter run.
Andrew Bynum added 16 points and Pau Gasol had 14 points and 16 rebounds for the defending NBA champions, who fell behind early before improving to 14-0 against the Pacers at Staples Center.
The Lakers won their third in a row heading into a stretch of three road games in four days, capped by Sunday’s contest at Orlando.
Troy Murphy had 17 points and 13 rebounds, Dahntay Jones scored 16 points, Josh McRoberts had 15 and Earl Watsonfinished with 10 assists for the Pacers. They dropped to 7-24 on the road and have lost eight of their last 10 overall.
In Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant had 39 points and 10 rebounds, Russell Westbrook added 30 points and 13 assists, and Oklahoma City finished a perfect three-game homestand by beating pesky Sacramento.
Rookie Tyreke Evansled Sacramento with 27 points. Carl Landry added 17 points, and Beno Udrihand Francisco Garciascored 13 apiece. The Kings played without reserve Andres Nocioni, who was suspended after he pleaded no contest to a drunken driving charge.
Jeff Greenhad 15 points and Nenad Krstic finished with 14 points and nine rebounds as Oklahoma City held a 43-32 advantage on the boards. The Thunder turned 17 offensive rebounds into 23 second-chance points.
Meantime, The Philadelphia 76ers have said goodbye to A.I.
Allen Iverson’s second stint with the team he once led to the NBA finals ended with a whimper Tuesday when the Sixers announced he would not return for the rest of the season.
Iverson has mostly been absent from the team for a month, returning to Atlanta to be with his family as they deal with an undisclosed illness of his 4-year-old daughter, Messiah.
Iverson, who returned to the 76ers as a free-agent in December, has not played since Feb. 20.
“After discussing the situation with Allen, we have come to the conclusion that he will not return to the Sixers for the remainder of the season, as he no longer wishes to be a distraction to the organization and teammates that he loves very deeply,” team president Ed Stefanski said. “It has been very difficult for Allen and the team to maintain any consistency as he tries to balance his career with his personal life.”
The former NBA MVP and four-time scoring champion averaged 13.8 points in 28 games this season. He started the season with Memphis but only played three games before he announced a short-lived retirement.
Coach Eddie Jordan said at practice it was best for Iverson to move on and put his focus on his family.
“I think it was the right thing to do at the right time,” Jordan said. “His body of work has proven to be a terrific body of work in the history of the NBA.”
Iverson’s agent, Leon Rose, did not immediately return messages seeking comment. Other attempts to reach Iverson were unsuccessful.
