(The Sports Xchange) – ——-LeBron James scored 26 points and made 10 assists as the Miami Heat beat the reeling Denver Nuggets 97-94 Monday night.
The game was tied 87-87 when James, who was content to pass for most of the period, scored two baskets to give the Heat a 91-90 lead before Ray Allen hit a floating jumper to seal the win.
Chris Bosh scored 17 points for Miami while guard Ty Lawson scored 26 points for the Nuggets, who have lost seven successive games – their longest losing streak in nine years.
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Pelicans 110, Trail Blazers 108
Sixth man Tyreke Evans nailed an 18-foot jumper with 1.9 seconds left after Jrue Holiday scored 15 of his game-high 31 points in the fourth quarter to lift the New Orleans Pelicans past the Portland Trail Blazers.
Evans’ game-winner for the Pelicans came after Portland point guard Damian Lillard tied the game on a 28-foot three-pointer with 10.9 seconds left.
Lillard scored 29 points for Portland while forward LaMarcus Aldridge scored 28.
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Mavericks 100, Timberwolves 98
Shawn Marion scored a season-high 32 points including two clutch three-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Dallas Mavericks held off the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Minnesota, down by 21 early in the third quarter, rallied to take a three-point lead early in the fourth before Dallas made the final push that included consecutive three-pointers by Marion that put his team in front 95-90.
Minnesota forward Kevin Love scored 36 points and pulled down 11 rebounds while guard Kevin Martin scored 19 points.
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Bulls 95, Grizzlies 91
Jimmy Butler scored a season-high 26 points as the Chicago Bulls defeated the Memphis Grizzlies.
Memphis cut an 18-point second half deficit down to a point, at 72-71, with 9:01 to play in the fourth but were never able to even the score with the Bulls.
