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O'Neal, Heat beat Kings, move into first-place tie

Mar 17, 2007 - 5:28 AM MIAMI (Ticker) -- Shaquille O'Neal and the Miami Heat have gotten hot at just the right time.

O'Neal scored 23 points and Eddie Jones added 19 as the Heat posted a 103-97 victory over the Sacramento Kings, extending their winning streak to nine games.

Jason Williams also had 19 points and James Posey added 16 and 11 rebounds for Miami (36-29), which moved into a virtual tie with idle Washington (35-28) for first place in the Southeast Division.

"I've been around too long to think that there couldn't be a chance we could tie for first place," Heat coach Pat Riley said. "Our players are solid and we have a lot of depth. We didn't win a championship last year by pure luck."

O'Neal connected on 8-of-16 from the floor and had 13 at halftime for the Heat, who held a 56-45 lead entering the third quarter.

Jones and Williams combined to shoot 10-of-16 from the arc for Miami, which extended its home winning streak to 14.

"Eddie came out hot," Kings guard Mike Bibby said. "He hit three 3-pointers in a row."

"I didn't think it was going to be this good," Jones said. "We just have to hope and pray that teams in front of us lose."

The streak matches the second longest in franchise history - from March 3 to November 9, 2004.

The Heat shot 55 percent (36-of-66) and are now 10-2 without superstar Dwyane Wade, who is out at least another month with a dislocated shoulder.

"I knew we were capable of doing this," Williams said. "I did think it was going to be tough without Dwyane Wade but we just have to come together and do what we've been doing."

Ron Artest scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Bibby added 21 points for Sacramento, which has lost seven straight to Miami and five in a row overall.

"We started out with a lot of turnovers," Bibby said. "We trailed by 22 and couldn't get the deficit past 10."

"We competed until the end," Kings coach Eric Musselman said. "We played a good fourth quarter but close doesn't count."