MIAMI (AP)-For the Miami Heat, there was symmetry in the roundabout. Lose 30 in San Antonio, winning by 30 in Miami.
Chris Bosh (notes) scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Dwyane Wade (notes) scored 29 points and the Miami Heat avenged its worst loss of the season by rolling past the NBA leader of the Spurs 110-80 on the evening of Monday.
LeBron James (notes) finished with 21 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Heat, who have won three straight and moved within two games of the Eastern Conference front-runners in Boston and Chicago. Miami lost 125-95 at San Antonio on March 4, the midpoint of a five-game slide that now seems almost forgotten after victories over the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies and now the Spurs.
Tony Parker (notes) scored 18 points and Tim Duncan (notes) added 14 for the Spurs, who had won 15 of their last 18 against Miami.
It was the worst defeat of San Antonio in the season, easily surpassing a 96-72 loss in New Orleans. And it was more decisive in the scoring column: Miami outrebounded the Spurs 47-33 and shot 54 percent to San Antonio 38.
Add this to San Antonio 123-101 loss in Orlando on Dec. 23, and two of the Spurs travel to the Sunshine State this season were the losses in a total of 52 points.
Mario Chalmers (white) scored 11 for Miami. Manu Ginobili (notes) finished with 12 and Antonio McDyess (white) scored 10 for the Spurs.
When the teams met a week and a half ago, it was over after one quarter. San Antonio was left without a lead of 36-12, making eight three-pointers in the first quarter en route to a franchise record of 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 of 25 from the field in the first half, 1 of 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 driver of the Heat was 49-39 at halftime, with Bosh and Wade combined for 31 points and 12 rebounds on the road.
Meanwhile, to take Duncan and McDyess-9 for a combined total of 13 in the half and the Spurs were downright abysmal offensive. Combined, their comrades fired nine of 33 in the first two quarters.
The Spurs have some things going on in the third, particularly Parker, who hit June 5 shots and scored 14 in the period. But the lead never fell below 12, and when he did, James and Wade came up with a pair of baskets 12 seconds apart to restore some order.
And hold off San Antonio in the third was critical, given the next period of rest has been a difficult place for Miami in recent times, most since the Spurs are 44-1 when leading the game in the fourth quarter season.
That was not a concern for Miami, in this case.
Wade, James found a mate with 10:14 remaining, then gave a cheerful note to return to the other end. There was a cry longest 17 seconds later after stealing the ball away from Steve Novak (notes) and go for a dunk of his own that pushed the edge of Miami to 87-67.
NOTES: Wade, who blocked five shots in Saturday's romp over Memphis, was one for the highlight reel when he blocked Duncan's layup with 7:36 remaining in the third. He looked at the overall scoreboard for a replay, but Bosh getting dirty on the other end is shown instead. ... The Spurs have now McDyess in the lineup to start with Duncan, Ginobili, Parker and Richard Jefferson (notes). "I wanted to feel like you have something to do," joked the Spurs coach, Gregg Popovich, who said McDyess will more in this time of year has been his plan for some time. ... Heat coach's father Jay Sabol died yesterday morning.
Tony Parker (notes) scored 18 points and Tim Duncan (notes) added 14 for the Spurs, who had won 15 of their last 18 against Miami.
It was the worst defeat of San Antonio in the season, easily surpassing a 96-72 loss in New Orleans. And it was more decisive in the scoring column: Miami outrebounded the Spurs 47-33 and shot 54 percent to San Antonio 38.
Add this to San Antonio 123-101 loss in Orlando on Dec. 23, and two of the Spurs travel to the Sunshine State this season were the losses in a total of 52 points.
Mario Chalmers (white) scored 11 for Miami. Manu Ginobili (notes) finished with 12 and Antonio McDyess (white) scored 10 for the Spurs.
When the teams met a week and a half ago, it was over after one quarter. San Antonio was left without a lead of 36-12, making eight three-pointers in the first quarter en route to a franchise record of 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 of 25 from the field in the first half, 1 of 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 driver of the Heat was 49-39 at halftime, with Bosh and Wade combined for 31 points and 12 rebounds on the road.
Meanwhile, to take Duncan and McDyess-9 for a combined total of 13 in the half and the Spurs were downright abysmal offensive. Combined, their comrades fired nine of 33 in the first two quarters.
The Spurs have some things going on in the third, particularly Parker, who hit June 5 shots and scored 14 in the period. But the lead never fell below 12, and when he did, James and Wade came up with a pair of baskets 12 seconds apart to restore some order.
And hold off San Antonio in the third was critical, given the next period of rest has been a difficult place for Miami in recent times, most since the Spurs are 44-1 when leading the game in the fourth quarter season.
That was not a concern for Miami, in this case.
Wade, James found a mate with 10:14 remaining, then gave a cheerful note to return to the other end. There was a cry longest 17 seconds later after stealing the ball away from Steve Novak (notes) and go for a dunk of his own that pushed the edge of Miami to 87-67.
NOTES: Wade, who blocked five shots in Saturday's romp over Memphis, was one for the highlight reel when he blocked Duncan's layup with 7:36 remaining in the third. He looked at the overall scoreboard for a replay, but Bosh getting dirty on the other end is shown instead. ... The Spurs have now McDyess in the lineup to start with Duncan, Ginobili, Parker and Richard Jefferson (notes). "I wanted to feel like you have something to do," joked the Spurs coach, Gregg Popovich, who said McDyess will more in this time of year has been his plan for some time. ... Heat coach's father Jay Sabol died yesterday morning.