Heat beat Magic 108-94; post 27th straight victory

Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) celebrates after a basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic in Orlando, Fla., Monday, March 25, 2013. The Heat won 108-94. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

ORLANDO, Florida  — LeBron James finished with 24 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, and the Miami Heat won their 27th straight game by running away in the final minutes to beat the Orlando Magic 108-94 on Monday night.

Mario Chalmers scored 17, and Chris Bosh and Ray Allen each had 12 for Miami, which broke open a tie game with a 13-0 run spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters.

The Heat now are within six games of matching the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers for the longest winning streak in NBA history. It was the 250th win for Heat coach Erik Spoelstra as well.

Jameer Nelson had 27 points and 12 assists for the Magic, who got 20 points from Tobias Harris.

Miami was without Dwyane Wade, sidelined by a sore right knee. The Magic were again missing Nik Vucevic, sidelined with a mild concussion.

HORNETS 110, NUGGETS 86

Ryan Anderson scored 23 points, Brian Roberts doubled his career high with 18 assists and short-handed New Orleans ended Denver’s 15-game win streak.

New Orleans, playing without its starting backcourt of Eric Gordon and Greivis Vasquez, won its third in a row and was in control all the way.

Roberts, a rookie making his second start, had 11 assists by halftime, two more than his previous best. Anderson was 5 of 11 on 3-pointers, and the Hornets sank 14-of-25 3s as seven players scored in double figures.

Danilo Gallinari had 24 points for the Nuggets, who were without starting point guard Ty Lawson (right heel injury) for the third consecutive game.

WIZARDS 107, GRIZZLIES 94

John Wall scored a career-high 47 points and added eight assists, Emeka Okafor had 21 points and nine rebounds, and undermanned Washington beat Memphis.

Wall shot 13 of 22 from the field and made a career-high 19 free throws on 24 attempts.

Mike Conley led Memphis with 23 points.

It was Washington’s sixth straight home win, while Memphis dropped its fourth straight road game.

Already without guard Bradley Beal (sprained left ankle), guard A.J. Price (groin) and forward Trevor Ariza (flu), Wizards coach Randy Wittman announced before the game that forwards Nene (sore right knee) and Martell Webster (abdomen strain) were also out.

Memphis center Marc Gasol missed his second straight game after aggravating an abdominal tear Friday at New Orleans.

PACERS 100, HAWKS 94

Gerald Green scored 19 points and Roy Hibbert finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds, leading short-handed Indiana past Atlanta.

The Pacers (44-27) extended their Central Division lead to five games over second-place Chicago with 11 games to play. And they did it despite playing without Danny Granger, George Hill, Lance Stephenson or David West. All four sat out with injuries.

They also won on a night that Atlanta (39-32) could have clinched a playoff spot.

Josh Smith led the Hawks with 20 points and Al Horford had 13 points and eight rebounds, not nearly enough against the revamped and focused Pacers.