Apr 9, 2006 3 min read

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – The New Jersey Nets didn’t have an answer for LeBron James in the fourth quarter, and now they won’t have to answer any more questions about their NBA-best winning streak. James scored 18 of his 37 points in the final 12 minutes Saturday to lead Cleveland to a 108-102 victory, ending New Jersey’s 14-game winning streak and leaving the Nets one win shy of a franchise record.

James’ effort came one game after he scored 21 fourth-quarter points against the New York Knicks in a losing effort Wednesday. This time, the Cavaliers ensured their 10th win in their last 11 games by scoring 12 of the game’s final 13 points after New Jersey took a 101-96 lead.

The tying points came on a vintage James move as he drove the lane on a fast break with two players hacking at his arms yet somehow managed to spin the ball off the glass. The three-point play tied the game at 101 with 50 seconds left.

“By far, this is our biggest win of the year, especially the way we played down the stretch,” James said. “We won a big game on the road. It was all about stops and making plays down the stretch. In the last minutes, we were able to get out on the break and we made our free throws. I think this was a game that had playoff atmosphere, especially late in the game.”

New Jersey was trying to become the first team since the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999-00 to win at least 15 games in a row. The Lakers won 19 from Feb. 4 through March 13, 2000.

Vince Carter, who was the Nets’ late-game closer in many of their wins during the run, scored 33 points for New Jersey but missed three jumpers and a foul shot in the final minute.

The free throw may have hurt the most. Carter was fouled with the Nets trailing 103-101 and missed his second free throw to leave New Jersey trailing by a point. James hit two free throws to extend the lead to 105-102. Carter got free at the top of the key for a 3-pointer on New Jersey’s next possession but missed badly.

He had nothing but praise afterward for James, who remained in the game despite picking up his fifth foul with 3:55 left.

“He’s a great player,” said Carter. “He shares the ball for 31/2 quarters and in the last six minutes he turns it up. He’s phenomenal.”

Heat 99, Wizards 86

WASHINGTON – Shaquille O’Neal had 27 points and 10 rebounds, Derek Anderson compensated for Dwyane Wade’s foul trouble with five 3-pointers, and the Miami Heat beat the Washington Wizards for their 16th consecutive victory over their Southeast Division rivals.

The Heat trailed by 12 in the first quarter, but from then on there was no stopping O’Neal and Anderson, who were a lethal inside-outside combination in place of the usual O’Neal-Wade. O’Neal went 13-for-16 from the field, and Anderson had 20 points, four assists and two steals in his best game since he was acquired in a trade with Houston in February.

Gary Payton added 13 points, and Udonis Haslem had 13 points and 14 rebounds for the Heat, whose domination of the Wizards includes 12 straight regular-season games and a four-game sweep in the second round of last year’s playoffs.

Wade scored 11 points in only 21 foul-plagued minutes, but he did enough to set a Miami franchise record with 76 consecutive games scoring in double digits.