Miami extends win streak without O’Neal

Dwyane Wade had 33 points and 11 assists, Udonis Haslem scored 18 points and tied a career-high with 17 rebounds, and the Miami Heat extended their winning streak to nine games Tuesday night in Miami with a 108-100 win over the Boston Celtics.

The Heat improved to an Eastern Conference-best 20-9, despite not having Shaquille O’Neal – who missed his first game of the season because of a left calf bruise sustained in Sunday’s win over Orlando.

Eddie Jones added 17 points, and Damon Jones scored 12 for Miami, which has won all 15 games this season in which it eclipsed the 100-point mark.

Paul Pierce had 25 points for Boston (11-13), which missed a chance to reach .500 for the first time this season.

Al Jefferson scored 15 points, while Ricky Davis, Gary Payton and Mark Blount all scored 12 for Boston.

Mavericks 123, Knicks 94: At New York, Josh Howard had career highs of 26 points and 16 rebounds, and Dallas opened a 39-point halftime lead in a demolition of New York.

Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas scored 23 points. The Knicks were loudly booed off the court at the end of the first half on the eve of the one-year anniversary of Isiah Thomas taking over as team president. Thomas watched the carnage unfold from his usual spot near the center-court tunnel, sticking around until the final seconds.

Cavaliers 107, Timberwolves 97: At Cleveland, LeBron James had 26 points with 12 assists, and Cleveland answered every time Minnesota threatened in the fourth quarter in a win over the Timberwolves.

Kevin Garnett had 26 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for the Timberwolves.

Nets 94, Bobcats 91: At Charlotte, N.C., Richard Jefferson scored 26 points and lifted New Jersey past Charlotte, snapping the Bobcats’ five-game, home-winning streak.

Vince Carter, recently acquired by the Nets in a trade with Toronto, still hasn’t played for New Jersey because of a sore Achilles tendon.

Kings 104, Wizards 93: At Sacramento, Calif., Peja Stojakovic hit five 3-pointers and Mike Bibby scored seven of his 24 points in the fourth quarter as Sacramento defeated Washington for its 16th victory in 19 games.

Clippers 100, Hornets 91 (OT): At Los Angeles, Bobby Simmons scored 30 points, Rick Brunson scored 11 of his 18 points in overtime and Los Angeles beat New Orleans after blowing a 21-point, third-quarter lead. The Clippers had lost 10 of their previous 13 meetings with the Hornets.