Thrilling night of action also sees three games go into overtime.
There were five games on the NBA schedule on Tuesday night, but it was all about LeBron James as he scored 43 points in the win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The four-time MVP made his intentions clear from the start as he scored 25 points in the first quarter alone to give an indication that he was set for another special night.
While he may have cooled off slightly thereafter, it was still a dazzling display from James, while Chris Bosh added 21 as Dwyane Wade sat out.
As a result, James seemingly took it upon himself to carry the team against a Cavaliers outfit without their influential point guard Kyrie Irving, as he described his shooting performance as just being in “one of those zones”.
Nevertheless, it was still a close game as Jarrett Jack led the hosts with 22 points, but James wasn’t to be denied as he now looks to help the Heat kick on and attempt to close the gap on the Indiana Pacers at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Elsewhere, the Atlanta Hawks picked up a vital win to keep the eighth seed firmly in their grip with an overtime win over the Toronto Raptors.
Jeff Teague had 34 points while Paul Millsap posted up a triple-double to eventually see off their Eastern rivals, with DeMar DeRozan helping the visitors keep within touching distance with 29 points.
It’s now five straight wins for the Hawks to maintain their four-and-a-half game advantage over the Knicks for the final playoff spot, but New York are on a six-game winning streak of their own and so the race may not be over just yet.
The Portland Trail Blazers also required overtime to see off the Milwaukee Bucks, while it was a similar situation for the Sacramento Kings who eventually overcame the Washington Wizards with a triple-double from Isaiah Thomas.
In contrast, there were no such problems for the Golden State Warriors as 23 points from Stephen Curry guided them to a comfortable victory over the Orlando Magic.
NBA Results:
Miami Heat 100-96 Cleveland Cavaliers
Toronto Raptors 113-118 Atlanta Hawks
Milwaukee Bucks 115-120 Portland Trail Blazers
Washington Wizards 111-117 Sacramento Kings
Orlando Magic 89-103 Golden State Warriors
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