LeBron scores 38, Heat defeat Blazers

Published 4:00 am Friday, March 2, 2012

PORTLAND — LeBron James had 38 points and 11 rebounds and the Miami Heat resumed their season with a 107-93 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night, extending their winning streak to nine games.

Dwyane Wade added 33 points and 10 assists for the Heat, who at 28-7 are off to their best 35-game start in franchise history.

Miami was playing in its first game since the All-Star break. The Heat hadn’t played since a 102-88 victory at home over the New York Knicks last Thursday.

The Heat were without All-Star Chris Bosh because of a death in his family. He is also expected to miss Friday night’s game at Utah, but it is not yet known whether he will play Sunday when Miami visits the Los Angeles Lakers.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points for the Blazers, who were coming off a 104-95 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night. Portland (18-18) has lost eight of its past 12 games.

It was Miami’s fifth straight road win.

Before the game, the Blazers activated center Joel Przybilla, who was signed by the team earlier this week.

Przybilla, who spent more than six seasons in Portland before he was traded to Charlotte last season, has not played since last March. An 11-year NBA veteran, the 7-foot-1 center finished with four points, six rebounds and two blocked shots in 19 minutes.

A fan favorite, he was treated to a standing ovation by the Rose Garden crowd.

The Blazers jumped out to an early 14-6 lead, but the Heat came back to tie it on Wade’s lob pass to James for a dunk. James and Wade combined for all of Miami’s points to that point.

The Heat extended the lead to 30-21 on Mario Chalmers’ jumper. They kept the Blazers at bay the rest of the half, going up 45-34 on Udonis Haslem’s 15-foot jumper before taking a 60-42 lead into the break. James and Wade accounted for 41 of the team’s points.

The Heat led by as many as 25 points in the third quarter. James’ fast-break dunk put the Miami ahead 77-55.

James went to the bench in the fourth quarter with the Heat still holding a sizable lead. But the Blazers chipped away a bit, coming to within 91-78 on Wesley Matthews’ reverse layup.

James’ break was brief and the Blazers got as close as 95-85 on Nicolas Batum’s three-pointer with 4:35 left. James answered on the other end with a three-pointer of his own.

James has scored 30 or more points in 15 games this season. Wade has scored at least 20 points in 10 straight games.

Last season, James scored 44 points against the Blazers, a record-high for an opponent at the Rose Garden, in a 107-100 overtime victory for the Heat. The road team has won the past five games in the series.

Also on Thursday:

Thunder 105

Magic 102

ORLANDO, Fla. — Kevin Durant scored 38 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter, and Russell Westbrook added 29 points and 10 rebounds as Oklahoma City erased a 14-point deficit and held on to beat Orlando.

Suns 104

Timberwolves 95

PHOENIX — Grant Hill scored 15 of his season-high 20 points in the second half and Phoenix Suns pulled away to beat Minnesota.

Clippers 108

Kings 100

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Chris Paul had 22 points and nine assists, Blake Griffin added 14 points and nine rebounds and Los Angeles cruised past Sacramento.DeMarcus Cousins had 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings.

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