Heat survives barrage of threes
MIAMI – LeBron James scored 38 points and the Miami Heat survived a record three-point outburst from New York's J.R. Smith to win 102-91 Sunday, dealing the Knicks' playoff hopes a big blow.
Smith made 10 three-pointers, a Knicks' record, on an NBA-record 22 attempts and finished with 32 points.
"You do your job and you live with the results," James said. "We lived with the result of J.R. making some of those bombs."
The Knicks are two games behind Atlanta in the race for the final playoff spot in the East.
Highlights
• LEFT MIKE BEHIND: Kevin Durant scored 38 points, surpassing Michael Jordan with his 41st consecutive game of 25 or more, but host Phoenix beat Oklahoma City 122-115.
• LEFT THE PAST BEHIND: Host Golden State beat Utah 130-122, improving to 19 games over .500 for the first time in 20 years.
• BLAZERS ARE IN: Portland clinched its first playoff appearance in three seasons, beating visiting New Orleans 100-94.
• PACERS SINKING FAST: Host Indiana was held to a franchise-low 23 points in the first half, losing 107-88 to Atlanta. The Pacers have lost four of five and fell a full game behind Miami in their quest for the No. 1 seed in the East.
• TWO-SPUR TEAM: Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili each had 26 points, to lead the Spurs past Memphis 112-92 in San Antonio after losing Tony Parker to back spasms in the opening quarter.
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