Mar 15, 2011 5 min read

MIAMI (AP) – For the Miami Heat, there was symmetry in the turnabout.

Lose by 30 in San Antonio, win by 30 in Miami.

Chris Bosh scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 29 and the Miami Heat avenged their worst loss of the season by rolling past the NBA-leading Spurs 110-80 on Monday night.

LeBron James finished with 21 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Heat, who have won three straight and moved within two games of Eastern Conference front-runners Boston and Chicago. Miami lost 125-95 in San Antonio on March 4, the midpoint of a five-game slide that now seems all but forgotten after wins over the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies and now the Spurs.

Tony Parker scored 18 points and Tim Duncan added 14 for the Spurs, who had won 15 of their last 18 against Miami.

It was San Antonio’s worst loss of the season, easily topping a 96-72 defeat in New Orleans. And it was decisive in more than the scoring column: Miami outrebounded the Spurs 47-33 and shot 54 percent to San Antonio’s 38.

Add this to San Antonio’s 123-101 loss in Orlando on Dec. 23, and the Spurs’ two trips to the Sunshine State this season were losses by a combined 52 points.

Mario Chalmers scored 11 for Miami. Manu Ginobili finished with 12 and Antonio McDyess scored 10 for the Spurs.

When the teams met a week and a half ago, it was over after one quarter. San Antonio ran out to a 36-12 lead, making eight 3-pointers in the first quarter alone, on the way to a franchise-record 17 connections from beyond the arc.

Funny how things even out: In Miami, the Spurs could get very little from outside the paint to fall.

San Antonio shot just 6 for 25 from the perimeter in the first half, 1 for 9 in the second quarter, and the Heat held the Spurs to their fourth-lowest output in the first 24 minutes of a game this season. The Heat lead was 49-39 at the break, with Bosh and Wade combining for 31 points and 12 rebounds along the way.

Meanwhile, take away Duncan and McDyess – a combined 9 for 13 in the half – and the Spurs were downright abysmal offensively. Combined, their teammates shot 9 for 33 in the opening two quarters.

The Spurs got some things going in the third, particularly Parker, who hit 5 of 6 shots and scored 14 in the period. But the lead never fell below 12, and when it did, James and Wade came up with a pair of baskets 12 seconds apart to restore some order.

And keeping San Antonio at bay in the third was crucial, considering the period coming out of halftime has been a rough spot for Miami of late – plus since the Spurs are 44-1 when leading heading into fourth quarters this season.

Thunder 116, Wizards 89

WASHINGTON – The Oklahoma City Thunder have the NBA’s leading scorer in Kevin Durant and lead the Northwest Division.

They finally got to see another piece for what they hope will be a deep playoff run.

Durant scored 32 points in a blowout win over the Washington Wizards, but of more interest to Oklahoma City was the Thunder debut of center Kendrick Perkins, who started in his first action since a deadline trade from the Boston Celtics.

Perkins had six points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes of play, and said his conditioning was fine after missing nine games with a sprained left knee.

Perkins got to ease into his new role in a game the Thunder dominated from the opening minutes.

Oklahoma City scored the game’s first eight points and held a double-digit lead with nearly five minutes left in the first quarter. The lead grew to 68-47 at halftime, equaling the Thunder’s largest point total for any half this season.

Russell Westbrook had 18 points and 12 assists, and Daequan Cook had 18 points on 6 for 9 3-point shooting for Oklahoma City.

Nets 88, Celtics 79

NEWARK, N.J. – The Celtics’ Big Three had never lost in New Jersey, which often feels more like the TD Garden than the Garden State when they visit.

Even they have to admit things are different now from the Nets – who won’t rule out yet having the Celtics back here for the playoffs.

Brook Lopez scored 20 points, Deron Williams added 16 and made the clinching 3-pointer, and the Nets extended their longest winning streak in three years to five games.

Kris Humphries had 16 points and 15 rebounds, following his strong performance against Blake Griffin by turning in one against Kevin Garnett to help the Nets snap a nine-game home losing streak against the Celtics.

Nuggets 114, Hornets 103

NEW ORLEANS – Ty Lawson scored 23 points and the Denver Nuggets combined for 17 3-pointers in a victory over the New Orleans Hornets.

Raymond Felton added 22 points, hitting six 3s for Denver, while J.R. Smith hit five 3s and finished with 18 points.

Denver made 17 of 29 3-pointers to build a 23-point lead Wilson Chandler’s 3 made it 91-68 in the third quarter. Chandler hit four 3s and finished with 21 points.

The Nuggets were just short of the season high of 18 they set one game earlier in a 131-101 victory over Detroit. Still, Denver’s total from deep was more than the Hornets had allowed in any game this season.

Chris Paul had 27 points, 10 assists and seven steals for the Hornets, while Willie Green scored 18 points.