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Heat end losing streak, top Lakers at home

Mar 11, 2011 - 6:04 AM Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Apparently there is nothing like a game against the two-time defending champions to end a lengthy losing streak.

Chris Bosh had 24 points and nine rebounds while Dwyane Wade added 20 points, five boards and five assists as the Miami Heat ended a five-game skid by topping the Lakers, 94-88, at American Airlines Arena.

"We're just trying to get back on track," Wade said. "It feels good to win a game the way we've been losing games. We knew this game would come down to the end."

LeBron James added 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds and Mike Miller supplied 12 points and seven boards in a reserve role for the Heat, who finished with a 6-0 run to sweep the two-game season series with the Lakers.

Kobe Bryant paced Los Angeles with 24 points but missed his final three shots and committed two turnovers in the final minute and a half as the Lakers had an eight-game winning streak snapped.

Pau Gasol added 20 points while Andrew Bynum scored 13 and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds in the loss.

Before going cold from the floor, Bryant connected on a three-pointer with 2:26 remaining that tied the game at 88-88. Bynum came up with a critical block on a Bosh jumper, but Bryant was stripped by Wade at the other end.

"[The Heat players] beat us to the ball tonight," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "They were quicker on the ball than we were and it showed up at the very end."

On a play that gave Miami the lead for good, Wade came up with the loose ball and tossed ahead to James for a one-handed dunk.

After a timeout, Bryant attempted another three but was blocked by Wade. Ron Artest missed the putback and Wade's driving layup with 46 seconds left widened the Heat's lead to 92-88.

"In the fourth quarter we let Wade get all the way to the basket off those screen-and-roll actions," Bryant said. "It cost us."

Lamar Odom attempted to connect with Bryant under the basket for an easy score on the next possession, but Wade played spoiler again. He stripped the ball from Bryant's hands and the Lakers star fumbled it out of bounds, giving the ball back to Miami.

Wade allowed the Lakers another chance, however, when he dribbled the ball out of bounds at the other end. But Bryant missed another three-point attempt and James made two free throws after he was fouled by Artest, giving the Heat their final margin.

Getting the ball with 19.2 seconds left, Bryant missed another jumper and Gasol missed a three-point attempt. Miller grabbed the rebound on the Gasol miss, ending the game.

Bryant scored the Lakers' first 10 points of the game, but Miami kept pace with each basket. The Lakers held an 18-13 advantage with 5:17 remaining in the first quarter and maintained a lead until the closing minute when Miller drained a three-pointer and James hit a contested bank-shot to give Miami a 29-26 lead at the buzzer.

The second quarter was also back-and-forth as Miami stretched its lead to as high as five in the closing minutes. Zydrunas Ilgauskas put the Heat up 51-46 with 2:38 remaining in the half, and after Derek Fisher made 1-of-2 from the line the Lakers used consecutive buckets by Bynum and Gasol to tie the game at 51. After a pair of Bosh free throws, he and Bynum exchanged baskets, sending the Heat into halftime up 55-53.

"[Miami] had 12 offensive rebounds in the first half," Bryant said. "We don't [allow] that."

Both teams came out flat in the third quarter, and seven early turnovers for the Heat allowed the Lakers to take control. A Bynum dunk with five minutes remaining cut the Heat's lead to 62-61 and started an 9-0 run that created some distance.

Fisher capped the spurt with a three, but three quick LA turnovers and a 6-2 Miami run to end the stanza cut the Lakers' lead to 70-68 entering the fourth.

Game Notes

Miami is 1-2 on a six-game homestand...The Heat improved to 2-9 against the NBA's top teams, and their only other win came against the Lakers on Christmas...The Lakers have lost six of their last seven trips to Miami...Odom finished with 11 points while Artest added nine points, nine rebounds and six assists in the loss.