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Heat blast Bucks for 21st straight win

Mar 16, 2013 - 5:42 AM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - The Miami Heat now own the third-longest winning streak in NBA history with 21 consecutive victories.

LeBron James and Chris Bosh each scored 28 points, and Dwyane Wade added 20 in Miami's 107-94 win over the Milwaukee Bucks Friday.

James tallied 10 rebounds and seven assists, and Miami's big three went 32-of-57 from the field. Wade also had nine assists and seven rebounds.

The Heat passed the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks for the third-longest single- season winning streak in league history. Miami can tie the second-longest streak all-time with a win Sunday afternoon at Toronto. Houston won 22 straight during the 2007-08 season.

The all-time record of 33 belongs to the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers.

There was also a revenge factor for the Heat, who lost at Milwaukee by 19 points on Dec. 29. Also, the Bucks pushed the Heat to overtime in Miami on Nov. 21 before losing.

"Our guys take it to heart," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It's not about revenge. It's about playing better and hopefully correcting some of the things that ailed us the last time we played. Nobody feels good about it when you get pummeled like we were the last time we played here. Guys wanted to play well."

Ersan Ilyasova had 26 points and 17 rebounds for the Bucks, who lost their third in a row. Brandon Jennings finished with 21 points.

These two teams will meet again April 9 in Miami.

"I think we still match up well against them," Jennings said. "We just had an off night tonight. I think we just beat ourselves tonight."

If the playoffs were to start now, the Heat would be playing the Bucks in the first round.

The Heat led 27-26 after one quarter, but limited Milwaukee to 7-of-25 from the field in the second. Miami held a 25-15 scoring advantage in the period. That included a 12-2 spurt that gave the visitors a 10-point edge. James capped the burst with a fadeaway jumper for a 46-36 edge with under two minutes left.

The Bucks cut the margin to 71-63 with three minutes left in the third thanks to three free throws from J.J. Redick, but the Heat dominated the paint over the next minute with three bucks, including two from James. Chris Anderson tallied a 3-point play. James capped the 7-0 burst with an alley-oop jam off a feed from Wade.

Miami was ahead 84-68 moving to the fourth, but the Bucks made one last push. Redick's 3-pointer, combined with Ilyasova's free throw following a loose ball foul on Shane Battier, had the hosts within 85-79 with 8:53 remaining.

Battier quickly atoned for his foul by draining a 3-pointer, and a short time later Norris Cole made his only field goal of the night, also a 3-pointer, for a 95-81 margin inside six minutes.

The Bucks never got closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Game Notes

Miami has held opponents to under 100 points in their last nine games ... Milwaukee center Larry Sanders, who had 10 rebounds, was ejected in the fourth quarter after picking up his second technical foul ... Marquis Daniels and Redick each scored 14.