Heat win 15th straight game against the Bobcats.
There were eight games on the NBA schedule on Saturday night, with LeBron James starring as he helped lift the Miami Heat past the Charlotte Bobcats.
James scored 34 points after attempting 25 shots, and it comes after he revealed earlier this week that he was jealous of Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant’s ability to put up double the amount of shots he takes.
Nevertheless, after starting well he missed nine straight attempts, before finding his rhythm again although the Heat did need overtime to defeat their Eastern Conference rivals.
“The game presented itself for me to be aggressive and I was able to shoot a lot. It felt, well… that’s why I’m icing my shoulder now,” James said with a laugh.
Chris Bosh added 25 points and seven rebounds, and while Charlotte suffered a costly injury with Kemba Walker leaving the game with a sprained ankle, Al Jefferson responded with 22 points and is now averaging 29.6 points over the previous three games.
The Indiana Pacers also won on Saturday, with Paul George scoring 36 points in their 106-92 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
George added some excitement to the game with a highlight-reel reverse windmill dunk that brought fans and players to their feet, as the Pacers move to 32-7 for the season and 21-1 at home.
They now have a three and a half game lead over the Heat, and are on a four-game winning streak as they look to continue their dominance in the East.
The Chicago Bulls were also victorious with a comprehensive win over the Philadelphia 76ers as Joakim Noah put up 21 points and 16 rebounds.
Carlos Boozer added 15 points and 13 boards, but it was Noah who stole the show as he extended his streak of double-digit rebound games to 12, the longest stretch of his career.
Chicago move to 19-20 for the season and impressively have won seven of their nine games in 2014, as D.J. Augustin continues to provide them with a spark at point guard.
Elsewhere, the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves picked up wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz respectively, while Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Curry had 28 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists on the night, inflicting an eighth straight loss on the Pelicans as their injury problems continue to mount.
David Lee added 22 points while Andrew Bogut had 10 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots as Anthony Davis’ 31 points and 17 rebounds weren’t enough to prevent the visitors from leaving with the win as Golden State move to 26-16 for the season.
Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers kept the pressure on at the top of the Western Conference with a win over the Dallas Mavericks.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 30 points and 12 rebounds to guide the Blazers to their fifth straight win, which moves them to 31-9 for the season and back top of the West for the time being before the San Antonio Spurs play on Sunday.
NBA Results:
Los Angeles Clippers 92-106 Indiana Pacers
Detroit Pistons 104-98 Washington Wizards
Miami Heat 104-96 Charlotte Bobcats
Philadelphia 76ers 78-103 Chicago Bulls
Milwaukee Bucks 104-114 Houston Rockets
Utah Jazz 72-98 Minnesota Timberwolves
Golden State Warriors 97-87 New Orleans Pelicans
Portland Trail Blazers 127-111 Dallas Mavericks
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