Boston pushes back Miami in Eastern Conference race
Miami — The Boston Celtics made their first eight shots of the fourth quarter to set up a 115-107 win over the Miami Heat in the NBA on Tuesday.
Paul Pierce scored 27 points and Kevin Garnett added 24 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics, who shot a season-high 61 percent.
LeBron James finished with 36 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Miami, who fell three games behind Chicago in the race for the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Bulls 98, Knicks 86
In Chicago, the hosts overcame the absence of Derrick Rose and comfortably beat New York.
Richard Hamilton scored 20 points and Luol Deng added 19 for Chicago. Hamilton had 18 points in the third quarter to help Chicago stay ahead after building a 12-point halftime lead.
Rose was out due to a sprained right ankle, having only just returned from 12 games out with a groin strain.
Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 29 points.
76ers 107, Nets 88
In Newark, New Jersey, Spencer Hawes came off the bench for the first time and a scored a season-high 19 points to lead slumping Philadelphia over New Jersey.
The win snapped a four-game losing skide for Philadelphia, giving it a half-game lead over the Knicks for the No. 7 seed in the East. Lou Williams added 20 points for the 76ers.
Kris Humphries had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who were officially eliminated from playoff contention, for the fifth straight season.
Mavs 110, Kings 100
At Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki and Rodrigue Beaubouis each had 15 points to lead six Dallas players in double figures, beating Sacramento.
The Mavericks are seventh in the Western Conference standings — half a game behind sixth-place Houston and half a game ahead of Denver.
DeMarcus Cousins had 25 points and 18 rebounds for Sacramento, which has lost five in a row.
OTHER RESULTS: Wizards 93, Magic 85; Cavs 103, Bobcats 90. /ap
