Heat run on reserve to beat Kings

 Miami’s reserves starred in a critical late-game stretch to hand the Heat their seventh consecutive victory with a 120-108 home win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.

Following three tight quarters, the red-hot Heat rode their reserves during a 13-2 run early in the fourth that gave them a 106-92 advantage and a clear path to their latest triumph.

The team’s bench scored all but two points during the game-breaking stretch, and finished with 32 for the game, to aid a game-high 30 points and 10 assists from Dwyane Wade.

Wade had the crowd on their feet in the second quarter after a spectacular play that saw LeBron James block a shot then lob a near full-court pass to the guard, who caught it in midair and finished it.

Chris Bosh added 20 and 10 rebounds and James chipped in 18 points to fuel NBA-leading Miami (26-7), who have won their last seven games by at least 12 points. The struggling Kings (10-22), who were without the injured John Salmons (hip), have now lost six straight.

Isaiah Thomas put up a team-high 24 points and Marcus Thornton finished with 23 for Sacramento who took a six-point lead after the first quarter but fell behind late in the second and had to play catch up the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers made San Antonio pay dearly for resting two of their leading players, mauling the Spurs by 40 points in their worst defeat for nearly 15 years.
With San Antonio (23-10) playing their third game in four nights, coach Gregg Popovich decided to rest his veteran duo and the Blazers took full advantage, hammering the visitors 137-97 to snap the Spurs' 11-game win streak.

It was San Antonio's most lopsided loss since falling to the Chicago Bulls by 42 points in March of 1997.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 21 points for Portland (18-16), who had six more players reach double-digits in scoring and led by as much as 48 points. Jamal Crawford took advantage of a rare start by recording 20 points and the Blazers shot 59 percent in a season-best offensive performance.

Rookie Kawhi Leonard had a team-high 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs.
Results: Cleveland: 101 bt Detroit: 100; Indian: 117 bt (in overtime) New Orleans: 108; Miami: 120 bt Sacramento: 108; Memphis: 89 bt Philadelphia: 76; Portland: 137 bt San Antonio: 97.