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LeBron, Heat cruise against Kings

Feb 23, 2011 - 5:58 AM Miami, FL (Sports Network) - LeBron James scored 21 of his 31 points in the first half, getting plenty of help from fellow All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as the Miami Heat cruised to a 117-97 victory over Sacramento.

Wade scored 23 points, Bosh had 22 and the Heat moved to 11-1 in their last 12 games. They also ran their home winning streak to six in their first game at American Airlines Arena since February 8.

Samuel Dalembert came off the bench to lead Sacramento with 18 points and 13 rebounds, but the Kings fell to 1-8 in their last nine games. Jason Thompson and Jermaine Taylor added 13 points apiece.

James, Wade and Bosh combined to score 57 points in Sunday's All-Star Game, which the East lost despite a fourth quarter comeback guided by James. Wade left the game with a right ankle injury, but played more than 35 minutes against the Kings.

Continuing to jell as a unit, James, Wade and Bosh combined to score 45 points in the first half, powering the Heat to a 63-44 lead at the break.

The outcome was almost never in doubt.

"Me and D. Wade talked before the game and were like, 'Let's go out and try to dominate this game and not allow this team to get any sense that they can play with us," said James.

Mission accomplished.

"Their record doesn't lie. They are a good team -- one of the best in the league. When you give a team like that shots, it's tough to win the game," said Sacramento's Beno Udrih.

Bosh scored the game's first bucket and the Heat never trailed, building their lead gradually in the first quarter before taking control with a 15-5 run that included eight points from James, four from Mario Chalmers and a three-pointer by James Jones.

The burst gave Miami a 35-16 advantage after one quarter. The Heat quickly pushed their advantage over 20 and it reached as high as 26 twice before intermission, the last time when James' jumper made it 56-30.

Miami's lead ballooned as high as 29 points in the third quarter on a Wade three-pointer to make it 82-53. It was 93-70 going into the fourth. Wade and Bosh both played 7 1/2 minutes in the final quarter while James sat out the duration with Miami holding a big lead throughout.

"This could have been a trap game to some people coming off the All-Star break," said Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. "We were focused on just us. Tonight was a very good energy game and focus game."

Game Notes

Chalmers had 14 points and Eddie House scored 10 off the bench for Miami...The Heat, who have won six in a row against Sacramento, will now travel to play MVP candidate Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. "I think it's a huge test," said James...The Kings are 1-3 on a seven-game road trip that started before the All-Star break.