San Jose Sharks beat Oilers 3-2

Michal Handzus and Dan Boyle scored in the shootout to help the San Jose Sharks extend the best start in franchise history with their seventh straight win, 3-2 over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.

Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski scored unassisted goals off turnovers 39 seconds apart in the second period against Devan Dubnyk to break open a scoreless game. Antti Niemi made 26 saves as the Sharks remained the only unbeaten team in the NHL.

San Gagner scored in the second period and Taylor Hall tied it in the opening minute of the third for the Oilers, who had won two straight including a 2-1 overtime victory the previous night in Phoenix. Dubnyk made 36 saves, including seven in an overtime that included a San Jose power play.

Handzus, who scored the only shootout goal against Anaheim on Tuesday, got San Jose started when he beat Dubnyk with a forehand in the opening round. After Gagner and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins missed for Edmonton, Boyle won it with his goal in the third round.

Hall got the equalizer at the end of a pretty give-and-go with Jordan Eberle 51 seconds into the third. The Sharks thought they regained the lead later in the period but Ryane Clowe was called for interference before taking a long pass from Couture and beating Dubnyk.

That's where the game stood until the shootout.

The Sharks took advantage of two turnovers to get their two quick strikes midway through the second. Scott Gomez pressured Ryan Whitney near the blue line before his linemate, Couture, stole the puck. Couture skated in and beat Dubnyk with a wrist shot before showing that he has Super Bowl fever.

Couture, a Buffalo Bills fan, skated toward the boards, flexed his arm and kissed his biceps - what is known as Kaepernicking - in tribute to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Less than a minute later, Pavelski took the puck from Ladislav Smid and beat Dubnyk with his own wrister, giving him a goal in his third straight game and point in all seven this season.

Gagner cut the lead in half less than 3 minutes later when he tipped Mark Fistric's point shot past Niemi, but the Oilers missed a chance to tie the game on a late power play in the second.

The Oilers, who came into the game trailing only San Jose in power-play efficiency, went 0 for 3 with the extra man as the Sharks have killed 16 straight penalties over the past four games. Improving a penalty-kill unit that struggled last season, especially in a playoff loss to St. Louis, has been the top priority this season in San Jose

After scoring six goals in the first period at Edmonton last week, the Sharks managed just seven shots on goal in a scoreless opening period in the rematch. It marked the first time they failed to score in the first period since the season opener at Calgary.

NOTES: The Sharks have scored first in six of seven games this season. ... Edmonton captain Shawn Horcoff was scratched with a strained neck after being hit late in Wednesday's game by Shane Doan. Anton Lander was called up from Oklahoma City of the AHL. ... San Jose D Jason Demers was added to the active roster after being injured in Europe during the lockout, but did not play.

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Spurs 102, Bobcats 78

Gregg Popovich was back from a three-game absence due to illness and feeling pretty good about the San Antonio Spurs' latest victory.

Tony Parker had 22 points and San Antonio never trailed in beating the Charlotte Bobcats102-78 on Wednesday night, extending its winning streak to nine games.

The reigning Western Conference Player of the Week, Parker had his way with Charlotte's backcourt. The Spurs All-Star guard had a game-high seven assists and was 9 for 10 from the field.

"He did it again," Popovich said. "He put it upon himself and he comes up with two big baskets down the stretch. He's really been special."

Kawhi Leonard added 18 points, Danny Green had 17 and Tiago Splitter 15 for San Antonio, which has won 17 straight at home.

Ramon Sessions came off the bench to score a team-high 22 points for Charlotte, which has lost five of six. Kemba Walker (16 points) and Ben Gordon (11) were the only other Bobcats in double figures.

The Spurs' perimeter players attacked the basket aggressively with Tim Duncan (sore left knee) and DeJuan Blair (fluid in right knee) missing the game, outscoring the Bobcats 48-24 in the paint.

"Basically, just bring energy," Leonard said of the team's strategy. "We wanted all of our guards to crash the boards tonight and get about five or more rebounds from our guards. We just wanted to keep our energy and pace up in the game."

San Antonio set up Charlotte inside by going 9 for 16 on 3s (56 percent) and shooting 55 percent from the field.

"We just tried to move the ball and take good shots," Parker said. "Tonight, it worked for me."

Leonard opened the scoring by hitting his first three shots, including back-to-back 3s that put San Antonio up 11-4 with 8 minutes left in the first. Charlotte battled back over the next 4 minutes behind an aggressive defense, forcing two missed shots and four turnovers in an 8-2 run.

The Bobcats pulled within 25-23 at the close of the first quarter on Walker's 19-foot jumper, but Manu Ginobili sparked the Spurs in the second.

Ginobili had four points, two rebounds and an assist on Leonard's 3 in the opening 2 minutes of the second quarter as San Antonio extended its lead to 32-23. Ginobili finished with nine points, six assists and five rebounds in 21 minutes.

Parker had seven points and five assists in the third quarter as San Antonio raised its home record to 21-2 this season.

"He's really playing at an All-Star level for us," Green said. "We need that especially with the guys we have out. With Tim being out, him and Manu have done a great job of carrying us, putting us on their back."

The Bobcats were able to cut the lead to 11 early in the fourth, but could get no closer as the Spurs' lead swelled to 24 in the final quarter.

Charlotte was 30 for 73 overall from the field (41 percent) while committing 23 turnovers.

"They took care of business," Gordon said. "In the second half, they just put us away. They were real sharp with everything they did. They capitalized on all our mistakes."

Leading by double digits throughout the second half, the Spurs spent much of the second half trying to set up the newest Spurs, Australian Aron Baynes. After playing 42 seconds in his NBA debut Friday at Dallas, Baynes had seven points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes against Charlotte. He was 3 for 7, missing a couple of tip-in follows.

"Baynes was good," Parker said. "It's not easy to come in the middle of the season. We're rolling and playing good and he came out with a lot of energy; banging, rebounding and setting some good picks."

The Bobcats bench did outscore San Antonio's 44-22.

Game notes

Leonard was selected to play in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge on Feb. 15 during the NBA All-Star weekend in Houston. It marks a return appearance for the second-year player to the game that features many of the league's top rookie and second-year players. ... Duncan has missed four straight games with an injury. . Blair missed his 14th game of the season. ... Bobcats P Byron Mullens (ankle sprain) missed his 17th game. Mullens has played 27 games this season, starting 26. ... Charlotte is 2-15 overall against San Antonio. ... The Bobcats are 0-2 with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Jeff Adrien, Bismack Biyombo, Gerald Hendersonand Walker as their starting lineup. ... Parker has led the Spurs in scoring in six of their last nine games and in assists in nine straight.

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Gonchar scores winner for Senators against Caps

  Before Sergei Gonchar scored the game-winner for the Senators, Ottawa's fourth line of Jim O'Brien, Mika Zibanejad and Erik Condra provided the spark for a comeback against the Capitals.

Gonchar scored on the power play with 2:30 remaining in regulation in Ottawa's 3-2 victory over Washington on Tuesday.

Zibanejad and Condra assisted on O'Brien's goal with 1:23 left in the second period to cut a 2-0 deficit in half and breathe life into the Senators heading to the third.

"I thought they were the best line and the best guys play," Senators coach Paul MacLean said. "They were the best group by far so we had to make sure we got them on the ice."

Zibanejad, who was recalled from the American Hockey League on Monday, was named the game's first star. When asked if he had earned the right to play Wednesday night against the Montreal Canadiens , MacLean quipped: "We usually play the first star."

Zibanejad, who has battled injuries this season with the Binghamton Senators, showed his skill and speed in his first NHL action since the beginning of the 2011-12 campaign.

"I was hoping I would play good," he said. "I was nervous in the first period, but then I got that out of the way and started playing like I should and felt pretty good."

Milan Michalek also scored for the Senators (4-1-1), who got 31 saves from Craig Anderson.

Troy Brouwer and Matt Hendricks scored for the Capitals (1-4-1). Michal Neuvirth stopped 24 shots in taking the loss for Washington, which blew a 2-0 lead.

"It's a tough one because when you play a really good hockey game you obviously want the win," Capitals coach Adam Oates said. "When you have a 2-0 lead it should be enough in this league."

Gonchar's winner came after Erik Karlsson wove through the Capitals' defense on a man advantage before finding his partner, who fired a one-timer that deflected of Hendricks in front and past Neuvirth with Ottawa's Chris Neil screening on the play.

Then with time winding down and Washington pressing for the tie, Anderson made a great save on Alex Ovechkin before robbing Mike Ribeiro from in tight.

"My job is just to make sure it doesn't get to three," Anderson said.

The Senators tied the game at 2:20 of the third. Kyle Turris won a faceoff in the offensive zone and pushed the puck ahead to Michalek, who scooped it passed a surprised Neuvirth.

"It happened very quick," Neuvirth said. "They won the faceoff and he just hit it. I'm not even really sure. I need to see the video."

Playing without Jason Spezza because of an undisclosed upper body injury, the Senators struggled and the Capitals owned the first period.

A turnover by Guillaume Latendresse midway through the period at the Senators' blue-line allowed Wojtek Wolski to jump on the puck and feed Brouwer, who caught Anderson moving the wrong way.

Washington then made it 2-0 as Hendricks tipped Jay Beagle's shot home.

The Senators continued to struggle in the second and seemed incapable of breaking through the Capitals' forecheck as Washington pinned the home side in its own end for nearly two minutes, leading to a chorus of boos from the 19,267 on hand at Scotiabank Place.

Notes: LW Kaspars Daugavins and D Andre Benoit were healthy scratches for the Senators. Apart from Spezza, D Jared Cowen (hip, out for season), D Mike Lundin (finger, two weeks) also missed out. ... C Brooks Laich (strained groin, out indefinitely), D Jack Hillen (upper body, out indefinitely) sat for Washington with injuries, while C Marcus Johansson, D Tom Poti and D Roman Hamrlik were healthy scratches.

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Utah Jazz: Harden leads Rockets to 125-80 victory over Jazz

The narrative Tyrone Corbin wanted to weave was that this, this thing, the world premiere of arguably the worst night in Utah Jazz basketball, was "one loss."

Close, Mr. Corbin. It was actually one hell of a loss.

You wanted drama? Should have flipped to HBO. A little fire? A news talk show would have served you better. A happy story? Don’t look directly at the Utah Jazz on Monday night.

The 125-80 loss to the Houston Rockets would have been the worst since the Jazz moved to Salt Lake City from New Orleans in 1979 before Kevin Murphy made a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left.

"I didn’t even know the score," Murphy said.

He was lucky. It was the worst home loss in franchise history by 12 points, and the fifth worse overall including the years in New Orleans and the most lopsided since a 46-point insult to the eventual-champion Lakers in 2000 — a game in which the Jazz started Olden Polynice at center and one of the rare nights current assistant coach Jeff Hornacek didn’t even attempt a 3-pointer.

How did they achieve such a feat this time around?

"We were terrible," Corbin said, opting for an adjective that describes such atrocities as boiled Brussels sprouts and fifth-grade band performances of selections from "Les Miserables."

But Brussels sprouts, people can digest. And at least folks appreciate the effort by a beginning band.

The Utah Jazz were booed by the 18,387 fans present at EnergySolutions Arena starting midway through a second quarter in which they were outscored 29-17, starting the onslaught.

"If I was them," said center Al Jefferson, who scored 10 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. "I would have booed us, too. That’s what we love about our fans. They’re going to tell us the truth. We should have been booing ourselves."

The game was tied at 22 late in the first quarter, but the Jazz were outscored 103-57 in the final 37 minutes.

James Harden scored 25 points to lead the Rockets, while center Omer Asik pulled down 19 rebounds.

Randy Foye’s 12 points led the Jazz, but he, Jefferson and Derrick Favors, who finished with 11 points, were the only Jazz players to score in double figures.

DeMarre Carroll dressed quickly after the game, and said he had never been through one as lopsided as this one.

"We didn’t have it today," he said. "It was one of them days. You lose by 50 or you lose by one, it’s still a loss."

Searching for a comparison, Jefferson pointed to a 20-point defeat at Indiana in December, in which they trailed by their previous season-high of 32 points.

"That was pretty bad," he said. "This is worse because it 

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KNICKS 106, HAWKS 104

   

At the London Olympics, the public address announcer called it “radiant” as Carmelo Anthony was making shot after shot after shot against poor, defenseless Nigeria.

Closer to home, the fans inside Madison Square Garden Sunday night didn’t need a thesaurus to explain what Anthony was doing against the Atlanta Hawks. They stuck with the simple chant of “M-V-P,” which is kind of like saying “radiant” but with a little New York attitude thrown in.

“It seemed like every time he put it up,” Tyson Chandler said, “it went in.”

After making a mockery of the 3-point line, Anthony rescued the Knicks by driving to the basket and producing a traditional three-point play that provided the winning margin in a 106-104 victory. Anthony scored 42 points and tied a franchise record by making nine 3-pointers, including three in 55 seconds late in the first half that conjured up memories of last summer when Anthony scored 37 points in 15 minutes against Nigeria.

Against the Hawks, Anthony made 15 of 28 shots, including 9-of-12 from deep that tied the club record held by John Starks, Latrell Sprewell and Toney Douglas. It was a dramatic turnaround from Saturday in Philadelphia, when Anthony made just nine of 28 shots and misfired on all six 3-pointers in a loss. Sunday night, Anthony made just one of his first five shots and finished by making 14 of his last 23.

“It was like, ‘It’s falling once again, the shot is falling once again,’ ” Anthony said. “When you’re feeling it like that you feel like you can’t miss.”

“He needed a breakout,” Mike Woodson said after his team improved to 27-15. “He’s been scoring but he just hasn’t been shooting at a high rate. He came up with big shots. It was nice to see.”

Woodson continues to be encouraged by the play of Amar’e Stoudemire, who scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter. Raymond Felton added 12 points and 10 assists in his second game since breaking a finger on Christmas Day. But defensively, the Knicks continue to struggle. Atlanta somehow managed to shoot 60% and lose.

The Hawks scored 30 fourth-quarter points and took a 104-103 lead when Josh Smith’s lob pass led to Al Horford’s dunk with 1:34 remaining. That was the last good moment for Smith and the Hawks, however, as the veteran forward, who has played well enough to be an All-Star, imploded in the final 53 seconds.

Smith committed two turnovers — a backcourt violation and a questionable offensive foul with 22 seconds left. Both came with Atlanta leading by one. After Smith’s foul, Woodson called a timeout and ran a play for Anthony, who in last Monday’s loss to Brooklyn shot an air ball on a potential go-ahead basket on the right side of the floor.

This time, Anthony isolated on Smith and drove left, converting a layup and drawing a foul even though the contact seemed to be minimal. Anthony’s free throw provided the winning margin and Smith’s 3-pointer at the buzzer hit off the backboard and front rim before falling out.

“That’s the longest shot I’ve ever looked at,” Anthony said. “He had a wide-open shot.”

Anthony had made all five 3-pointers he attempted in the third quarter but didn’t take a shot from behind the arc in the final period. But the threat of the long jumper set up Anthony’s game-winning drive.

“When I’m making them from the perimeter, that opens up things more for me and my teammates,” he said.

Anthony had the Garden crowd on its feet late in the first half with his 3-point barrage that included a transition three that seemed closer to the midcourt strip than the 3-point line. He said he wasn’t aware that he was nearing a team record until afterward, when a teammate asked why he didn’t try for a 10th.

Nigeria wasn’t so fortunate as Anthony, taking aim behind the closer international 3-point line, made 10 of 12. It was a performance that left all of his Olympic teammates, including LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, shaking their heads in disbelief.

And now the Atlanta Hawks know what radiant looks and feels like.

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Marian Gaborik rallies New York Rangers past Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-2

NEW YORK — Defenseman Marc Staal scored the tying goal early in the third period and then set up Marian Gaborik's game-winner late to rally the New York Rangers to a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

This one had all the signs of being another tough loss for the Rangers, who had already dropped three of their first four in the lockout-shortened season. But Staal got New York even at 2 at 7:36 of the third and then fired the drive that Gaborik deflected in with 7:03 left.

The Rangers held a commanding shots advantage throughout and finished with a 42-17 edge, but they trailed 2-0 in the first period.

Brad Richards, who also assisted on Gaborik's winner, got the Rangers within 2-1 in the second. Gaborik added two assists and an empty-net goal with 1:15 to go.

On the go-ahead goal, Richards nudged the puck up the wall to Staal, who unleashed a one-timer that Gaborik tipped past screened goalie James Reimer.

Brian Boyle then deflected in Michael Del Zotto's drive to make it 4-2 with 2:52 remaining.

Mikhail Grabovski and James van Riemsdyk scored first-period goals for the Maple Leafs, who fell to 2-1 on the road.

Defenseman John-Michael Liles assisted on both early goals for Toronto, which blew a lead for the second straight game. On Thursday, the Maple Leafs allowed five straight goals in a 7-4 loss to the New York Islanders after jumping out to a 3-1 edge.

Reimer was strong throughout before his rough third period. He had to be nearly perfect for much of the game because his teammates generated so few shots at opposing goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

It was a much-needed win for the Rangers, who were 0 for 4 on the power play and are 2 for 22 overall this season.

Toronto forged a 2-0 lead in the first period despite being outshot 14-3. The only save Lundqvist made in the opening 20 minutes was off a shot by van Riemsdyk, who instantly put the rebound in for his third goal.

The power-play tally was set up when the Rangers were caught with too many men on the ice.

The only other shot that came Lundqvist's way in the first period was Grabovski's goal. Despite their low shot total, the Maple Leafs had nine drives blocked by New York defenders.

Grabovski gave Toronto a 1-0 lead when he was left alone in front of Lundqvist, stickhandled and then shoved in a shot at 6:25 for his third goal of the season.

The Rangers had a couple of potential scoring chances, but were denied by Reimer. His best stop came with just under nine minutes left in the first after Nash was sprung free on a long stretch pass. Nash snapped off a hard shot that Reimer calmly gloved at his midsection.

New York finally had something to show for its efforts when Richards cleaned up a loose puck in front to get the Rangers within a goal at 5:43 of the second.

Nash's drive from the outer edge of the right circle was deflected in front by Gaborik, who put the puck back in on Reimer. The puck slid toward the left post, and Richards took a backhanded swipe for his second goal of the season.

New York held a 17-4 shots advantage at the time of its first goal and a 25-9 edge through 40 minutes.

Fans got so frustrated with the lack of positive moments from the slumping home team that when Lundqvist made his simple glove save to stop play 40 seconds into the middle period, the crowd let out a sarcastic cheer.

NOTES: New York appeared close to signing veteran free-agent center Jason Arnott, pending a physical. ... Rangers RW Arron Asham returned after missing two games because of a groin injury. He has engaged in a fight in both games he has played this season. ... New York RW Benn Ferriero made his Rangers debut after being recalled from Connecticut (AHL). ... Toronto LW Nikolai Kulemin, who had a career-high three assists Wednesday at Pittsburgh, earned another on Grabovski's goal. Van Riemsdyk had two goals and an assist in that game. ... Phil Kessel, who scored a career-high 37 goals last season for Toronto, has none through five games.

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No small effort by Hinrich, Robinson

CHICAGO -- Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson haven't practiced together on the floor all season. That didn't seem to matter Friday night as the diminutive pair helped spark theChicago Bulls offense in more ways than just setting it up. 

Hinrich and Robinson combined for 47 points in a 103-87 win over the Golden State Warriors, going 18-for-27 from the field. Hinrich, the veteran leader who has struggled all season with his shot, hit six 3-pointers and gave the rest of his teammates confidence throughout the night. 

"I think it gives us a lot," Hinrich said of the super small lineup that Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau went with at times on Friday. "Tonight, they were a small team as well so it worked out really well. We went smaller -- we haven't ever really done it in practice. It's just one of those things where you just go out there and play to our strengths and try to make the right basketball play." 

What Thibodeau will love about their combo performance is that they also combined for eight assists and helped spread the floor for the rest of their teammates. It's not a coincidence that the Bulls’ front court of Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer and Jimmy Butlerall had double-doubles with Hinrich and Robinson leading the charge. 

"I thought Kirk and Nate were terrific together," Thibodeau said. "They played well off each other. It's one of the reasons we signed Kirk. He has played both the positions and played both well. He and Nate can go back and forth." 

With Derrick Rose out of the lineup and Luol Dengresting a bad hamstring, Golden State decided to live with Hinrich and Robinson getting shots. They made the wrong choice. The Warriors defense was poor throughout the game on all fronts, but it was especially bad on Hinrich. 

"It's amazing, man," Boozer said of Hinrich and Robinson. "A lot of times they're open because there's so much attention to the rest of us. And tonight they were crazy aggressive. The last few games to be honest, though, Kirk's been playing great. Nate's always aggressive offensively. But it makes the game easier for everyone else." 

Robinson loves getting shots up no matter who is on the floor, but he really seemed appreciative of being on the court with Hinrich. He enjoyed not always having the pressure of running the offense against a team that historically doesn't put much of a premium on defense. 

"It was just fun, man," Robinson said. "(Hinrich's) the captain of the team, he's the leader and he had us going. For us, the ball finds energy. Kirky had great energy today. Each guy did, including myself, but we just feed and play off each other. It just happened and just felt natural. When you're out there playing basketball and you're having fun, the ball -- it doesn't care who gets the credit. The ball hops and we're just having fun and knocking down shots." 

That's the key this week for the Bulls. After playing up-and-down basketball all season, they seem to be finally hitting a stride that Thibodeau has been hoping for all year. The “fun” Robinson mentioned is tangible both on the floor and in the locker room. The Bulls know they are getting better and they know that at some point Rose and Deng will be back to help them. In the meantime, they continue to pile up wins most pundits didn't think they could get. 

"That's the beauty of this team, man" Noah said. "A lot of guys can step up. Nate Robinson again, huge for us. Kirky Worky, huge for us. Jimmy Boy, huge for us. Carlos, huge for us. It's just that everybody came in with the right mindset, right edge. It's a big win."

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Colorado Avalanche shuts out Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0

The grind that is the NHL's lockout-shortened season favored the Avalanche on Thursday night. After beating the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings in Tuesday's home opener at the Pepsi Center, the Avs welcomed a tired team coming off a four-goal loss at Phoenix on Wednesday.

The Columbus Blue Jackets arrived in Denver in the wee hours Thursday morning, and held a optional morning practice as the Avs had finished theirs and were busy talking about how to take advantage of the situation."We all watched their game and we know it's not easy to play back to back with traveling," Avs right winger P.A. Parenteau said of the Blue Jackets, who began 1-0-1. The Avs won the chippy affair 4-0, their second triumph in three games, and for the second straight time goalie Semyon Varlamov and center Matt Duchene were the best players on the ice. Varlamov had 23 saves through a fight-filled two periods, and Duchene had one assist and two goals.A Sidney Crosby-like skating-passing sequence by Duchene led to Parenteau's goal at 51 seconds into the game, and Duchene scored his first of the season at 12:25 on a rebound off a Chuck Kobasew shot."We talked about getting out of the gate hard and we were able to sneak in a quick goal on the first shift and another soon thereafter. It was good. Great win," Duchene said.At the time of Duchene's first goal, third-line center John Mitchell was in the trainer's room, receiving stitches after taking a shot off the forehead and leaving a trail of blood to the bench.The former New York Ranger, who was cleared of a possible concussion or broken bones, returned to the ice in the second period and made it 3-0 by beating Sergei Bobrovsky with a wrist shot 4:38 into the third period."I could see out of both eyes. I knew I was cut, obviously, but I could see,"
Later, he clanged a shot off the left post on a semi-breakaway.Mitchell joined the Avs as a free-agent signee last summer, after helping lead the Rangers to the Eastern Conference finals last season. For those who witnessed his horrific-looking misfortune and ensuing comeback, the newcomer is now a crowd favorite.Meanwhile, Avs coach Joe Sacco preached a good start at 5,280 feet."With their situation, yeah, it's no secret. They're going to try to find their legs early on," Sacco said of the Blue Jackets before the game. "We want to keep it simple for us, make their D work by going back for pucks and try to establish some territory in the offensive zone by controlling it down there as much as possible."

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Miami Heat outlasts Toronto Raptors in overtime win

The young Toronto Raptors arrived in Miami on a high after knocking off the Lakers. For almost four quarters, it appeared Canada’s team would do the same to the defending champions.

Then overtime came.

The Heat scored 11 consecutive points in the extra period in a 123-116 overtime victory at AmericanAirlines Arena on Wednesday. Coincidentally, it was the Heat’s first game since defeating the Lakers last Thursday.

The Heat (27-12) has won three games in a row after a six-game stretch that featured just two victories.

Overtime allowed LeBron James to record his second triple-double of the season and 34th of his career. He finished with 31 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. James pulled down his final rebound of the game on the last possession. He had five rebounds in the five-minute overtime period.

“We played good basketball,” James said. “Not for … 53 minutes tonight, but we played some really good basketball. We continued to share the ball, we continued to trust and we rebounded at a high clip.”

Toronto’s Alan Anderson began the extra period with a three-pointer and then put the Raptors (15-27) ahead by five with a layup. From there, the visitor’s found scoring difficult. The Heat finished the game with a 13-2 run.

Led by James, Dwyane Wade, and Ray Allen, the Heat blew the game open with its only dominant spurt of the night. Allen started the comeback with a three-pointer and then ended all the suspense with another minutes later.

Allen’s second three-pointer of the overtime run gave the Heat a 120-114 lead with 59.3 left.

“It’s pretty obvious why we went after him over the offseason,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It doesn’t matter what kind of game he has had going into clutch time.”

Wade led the Heat with six points in overtime and finished with 35 points, going 13 of 19 from the field. He scored 25 points in the second half and overtime.

“Had to get those lungs back,” said Wade, who added that his knee finally feels like it’s returning to normal after offseason surgery. At the beginning of the season, Wade said the knee wouldn’t be fully healed until after the All-Star break.

“[Wade] made a lot of plays for us,” Spoelstra said. “He made it look easy, but he was in attack mode. I think he played his best, most active ball at the end. When guys started to get fatigued, he hit another gear.”

Wade’s assist on Allen’s first three-pointer of overtime sparked the rally. Wade finished the game with seven assists.

“He was able to get into the paint and find Ray, not many people can make that play,” Spoelstra sad.

The Heat trailed 57-50 at halftime, allowing the Raptors to shoot 57.5 percent from the field. At one point in the first half, Miami had six turnovers before the Raptors recorded their first. The Raptors led by as many as 15 points in the first half.

“It was set up to be an excuse game,” Spoelstra said. “Hopefully the second half was more indicative of how we’re playing right now.”

The fourth quarter featured three lead changes and five ties. It was tied at 109 at the end of regulation after James missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer. As he has done throughout the season, Allen once again shot the Heat back in the game with his three-point shooting. He had 11 points in the fourth quarter and OT.

In one of his best games in some time, Chris Bosh had 12 points and 12 rebounds. It was his 10th double-double of the season. The Heat outrebounded the Raptors 53-29.

Turnovers were a problem for the Heat throughout. James tossed a cross-court pass into the second row with 36 seconds left in regulation that nearly cost the Heat the game.

After playing from behind throughout, the Heat tied the score with 4:16 left in the third quarter on an alley-oop from Wade to James. Miami then forced a 24-second violation and James returned the favor on the Heat’s next possession, finding Wade inside for an easy layup. It was the Heat’s first lead since early in the first quarter.

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Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/24/3197730/miami-heat-outlasts-toronto-raptors.html#storylink=cpy

Cavaliers 95, Celtics 90

THE NITTY GRITTY 
Kyrie Irving exploded for 40 points on 16-of-24 shooting, pairing with Tristan Thompson (21 points, nine rebounds) to pace the Cavaliers. Rajon Rondo led the Celtics with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists, while Paul Pierce (12 points on cringe-worthy 3-of-15 shooting, seven rebounds), Kevin Garnett (16 points, five rebounds, five blocks) and Jared Sullinger (12 points and 10 rebounds) all scored in double figures for Boston. 

TURNING POINT 
A back-and-forth game for its entirety, the Celtics kept things close throughout the fourth quarter, but Irving proved to be too much down the stretch. Irving put in 15 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, including the final seven for Cleveland. As Boston repeatedly failed to convert on the offensive end over the final few minutes, Irving sliced to the rim, putting in a transition layup with 52 seconds to play and coming back with an old-fashioned three-point play with 22 ticks left, fouling out Sullinger in the process (who nearly drew the charge in a one-possession game). Irving made the bucket and the free throw to give the Cavs a six-point lead that Boston couldn't overcome. 

SULLINGER SHINES AGAIN 
This was a bit of a homecoming for rookie Sullinger, with the game taking place a little more than two hours away from his native Columbus. Despite fouling out with 22 seconds to play on what could be considered a questionable charge call, Sullinger produced his fourth career double-double, providing a much-needed spark of energy by coming through with eight points and seven rebounds over his first nine minutes on the court. While he battled his now-customary foul trouble, Sullinger was Boston's only spark off the bench and coach Doc Rivers elected to pair him with Garnett along the frontline down the stretch. 

BOLD STRETCH OF THE GAME 
Bradley, who weathered a mild head cold and the rib injury he's still recovering from, gave the Celtics some needed separation midway through the third quarter. He came through with a loud pin-on-the-backboard block on Dion Waiters in transition and followed the defensive stop with back-to-back transition 3-pointers from the right corner. The second one gave Boston a 64-58 lead, which tied its largest lead of the game at the time. 

WHAT IT MEANS 
Not only did the Celtics drop their fourth straight game and slip below .500 again (20-21), but they failed to come out with the sense of urgency Rivers was likely looking for following his heavy criticism of his club in the wake of Sunday's 103-88 loss to the Pistons. Boston's defense was non-existent in the opening quarter, and aside from a decent stretch midway through the third frame, the Celtics showed little in the way of inspired ball. With a back-to-back looming Thursday and Friday against playoff-caliber opponents in New York and Atlanta, Boston will have to regroup quickly and bring out the needed effort to get this rocky season on the right track.

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Florida Panthers flat as Ottawa Senators get easy win

OTTAWA -- The fast-skating, hard-hitting Panthers who appeared to score off every shot in Saturday’s season opener must have stayed behind in Sunrise.

Yeah, what a difference 1,300 miles and about 78 degrees makes.

Playing in the deep chill of winter for the first time this young season, the Panthers didn’t do much of anything Monday night as the Senators dominated all phases of the game to win their home opener 4-0 at Scotiabank Place.

“It’s pretty hard when you chase your tail the whole game, and that’s what we did,’’ coach Kevin Dineen said. “They dictated the whole pace of play. It was a very disappointing effort.’’

Florida has lost 10 of the past 11 games to the Senators, including six in a row in Canada’s capital city. Afterward, the Panthers boarded a charter bus headed east toward Montreal.

The Panthers won all four meetings against the Canadiens last season for the first time in franchise history and face the Habs on Tuesday night.

“That was unacceptable right from the get-go,’’ captain Ed Jovanovski said. “Let’s face it, we were outplayed, and they wanted it more. We had no response throughout the game. We had a flash here and there. At least we have a game Tuesday.’’

The Panthers looked about as bad in the opening 30 minutes of Monday’s game as they did terrific during that same span Saturday against the visiting Hurricanes.

Florida trailed 2-0 after Kyle Turris scored in each of the first two periods — and were real lucky it wasn’t so much worse. The Panthers can thank Jose Theodore for that as Florida was outshot 18-4 in the first and 26-16 after two periods.

“Theo was so good for us,’’ defenseman Brian Campbell said.

The Panthers started well enough and had three shots on Craig Anderson six minutes in.

Then the Panthers only took one more shot in the final 14 minutes of the period — and that was a soft wrister from George Parros that Anderson spied all along.

Florida didn’t take a real shot at Anderson for the equivalent of more than a full period as the Panthers went from 5:48 of the first until Tomas Kopecky ripped one at the former Florida goalie at 8:10 of the second.

The Panthers were still down 1-0 at that point, but Ottawa took a two-goal lead with 7:53 left in the second when Turris charged the net and redirected a slick pass from Guillaume Latendresse past Theodore, who never had a chance.

Florida went into the second intermission down 2-0 as Dineen completely reworked his lineup during the middle 20 minutes.

The Panthers’ offensive units looked nothing like they had at the start of the night as Dineen mixed more things than a South Beach bartender on a Friday night.

Things were back to relative normal to start the third as Stephen Weiss lined up for the faceoff with Tomas Fleischmann and Scottie Upshall nearby. It didn’t help much as Anderson turned back 15 shots in the third — and 31 overall — to get the 20th shutout of his career.

And how much does Anderson love playing the Panthers? A South Florida resident who spent the lockout working out at the team’s complex in Coral Springs, Anderson is 8-0-1 against his former team. Monday’s win was Anderson’s second shutout against the Panthers.

“We haven’t had good success in this building for whatever reason,’’ Dineen said. “This has not been a good place for us, a good atmosphere for us. This was right up there on the ugly list.’’

For Theodore, Monday goes into the books as a loss, but he had as much to do with the Panthers losing the game as Ottawa’s furry mascot — it’s a lion and not a politician, oddly enough — did.

Theodore, who will get Tuesday night off as Scott Clemmensen makes his first start of 2013, was credited with 33 saves as he, and the Panthers dropped to 1-1-0 in this young season.

Ottawa blew things out late in the game by scoring twice (Jim O’Brien, Jakob Silfverberg) in the final 2:25.

“We have to get back to what we do best,’’ Jovanovski said, “and that’s working hard, get the cute out of the game. We have been a resilient group. With so much hockey crammed into a short time, we don’t have time to slide. We have to get right back into the win column.’’

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Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/22/3194023/florida-panthers-flat-as-ottawa.html#storylink=cpy