Cleveland — Anthony Mason could not be stopped Sunday night, and neither could the Miami Heat.
Mason made 10 of 14 shots from the field and scored 23 points to lead the Heat to a methodical 91-79 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"Nothing stops us except ourselves," Mason said. "We played good basketball for a whole game. We were all out collectively."
Miami took command with a 10-0 run midway through the third quarter to lead 62-52. Eddie Jones scored five quick points in the spurt on a fast break layup and, 19 seconds later, a 3-pointer from the corner.
Lamond Murray and Andre Miller each scored 14 points to lead Cleveland, which lost for the 16th time in its last 18 games and is 7-29 since Dec. 16.
Tim Hardaway and Jones each scored 18 points for Miami, which won for the fourth time in its last five games following a three-game losing streak.
"We just pushed it," Hardaway said. "Nobody thinks we can run, so we got some fastbreak buckets."
Cleveland went scoreless over a 4:10 span and made just 5 of 13 shots (38 percent) from the field in the third quarter.
"That's what carries us, what we think of first is defense," Mason said.
Whatever hopes Cleveland had for a comeback were dashed early in the fourth quarter when Dan Majerle sank five consecutive free throws. Majerle was fouled by Bimbo Coles on a 3-point attempt and sank each foul shot. Twenty-seven seconds later he made two more for a 79-64 lead.
With Murray scoring 11 points, the Cavs' reserves kept Cleveland close early, outscoring the Heat reserves 21-7 in the first half.
Murray made just 1 of 3 shots in the second half.
"That's just the way the flow of the game goes," Murray said. "They trapped us on defense and I just didn't get the ball."
Raptors 98, Knicks 88
Toronto Vince Carter scored 25 points and the Toronto Raptors won their fifth straight game. The teams met for the for the first time since exchanging point guards at the Feb. 22 trade deadline. Toronto's Chris Childs had 12 points, three assists and two turnovers. Mark Jackson had four points, three assists and two turnovers for New York. Latrell Sprewell scored 27 for the Knicks, who have lost six straight regular-season games against Toronto.
Pistons 93, Magic 84
Auburn Hills, Mich. Jerry Stackhouse scored 26 points, and Corliss Williamson added 22 and 16 rebounds to help Detroit end a four-game losing streak. Detroit led by as many as 22 points before hanging on to win. The victory came just two days after the Pistons blew a seven-point lead in the final 90 seconds and lost to Miami in overtime.
Jazz 118, Wizards 98
Washington Donyell Marshall's 19 points and John Stockton's 12 assists led the fast-break fun. Karl Malone added 20 points in 22 minutes as the Jazz, who have won eight of 10, toyed with the woeful Wizards, who have lost seven straight. Washington was called for three technical fouls in the first half and lost point guard Chris Whitney to an injury in the first quarter. Mitch Richmond scored 22 points to lead the Wizards, who shot 35 percent and have lost 12 of 13 games.
Hornets 116, Celtics 97
Boston Jamal Mashburn scored 27 points and Baron Davis 24 as Charlotte ended Boston's seven-game home winning streak. David Wesley scored 22 points and had eight assists for the Hornets, who posted their seventh consecutive win and ninth in 10 games. P.J. Brown added 12 points and 15 rebounds before fouling out early in the final quarter. Antoine Walker scored 27 points and Paul Pierce 24 for the Celtics, who absorbed their first home loss since Jan. 12. It was Boston's longest winning streak at the FleetCenter since the building opened for the 1995-96 season.
Nets 120, Pacers 96
Indianapolis Stephon Marbury scored 25 points to lead five New Jersey players in double figures, and the Nets snapped an 11-game road losing streak. Marbury also had 10 assists, while Keith Van Horn and reserve Johnny Newman had 23 points each and Kenyon Martin added 19.
Timberwolves 119, SuperSonics 111, OT
Minneapolis Anthony Peeler hit a game-tying three-pointer with 16.3 seconds left in regulation, then hit two more 3s in overtime for Minnesota. Peeler, who finished with 24 points, helped the Timberwolves rally from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and overcome a career-high 44-points by Gary Payton.
Lakers 110, Warriors 95
Los Angeles Shaquille O'Neal had 26 points and 15 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers routed Golden State for their sixth straight home victory. Kobe Bryant added 22 points in his third game back since being sidelined for three games with sore ankles. Marc Jackson led the Warriors with 22 points, while reserve Bob Sura added 19.
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