Heat defeat 76ers for 17th straight

Chris Bosh scored 16 points, Ray Allen added 12 and Shane Battier scored 11 for the Heat, who matched the 12th-longest winning streak in NBA history and became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff spot this season.

Down by nine in the third quarter, the Heat took a 76-75 lead when James beat the buzzer to end the period with a 3-pointer, then took control with what became a 17-4 run over a 5-minute stretch of the fourth.

Thaddeus Young scored 25 points for the 76ers, who lost their 12th straight on the road and 13th straight regular-season game against Miami.

Nets 95, Wizards 78 In New York, Deron Williams made an NBA-record nine 3-pointers in the first half, finished with 11 and scored a season-high 42 points to lead the Brooklyn Nets past the Washington Wizards.

Williams made his first eight shots behind the arc, became the first player in a decade to match the opposing team's score in the first half, and was one shy of the NBA record of 12 3-pointers as the Nets opened a huge early lead and coasted.

He missed from straightaway with 1:08 left in the game, leaving him one shy of the record shared by Kobe Bryant and Donyell Marshall.

John Wall had 16 points for the Wizards, who played without rookie guard Bradley Beal, their leading scorer, because of a sprained left ankle and lost for the fourth time in five games.

Thunder 116, Bobcats 94 In Charlotte, North Carolina Kevin Durant had 19 points and seven assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Charlotte Bobcats for their fourth straight victory.

Derek Fisher and Thabo Sefolosha both had 13 points for the Thunder, who blew open a close game with 19-0 run to start the second quarter. Serge Ibaka scored 12 points, and Russell Westbrook and Kevin Martin each chipped in with 11.

The Thunder shot 59 percent from the field in the first three quarters to build a 90-66 lead and rested their starters the rest of the way.

Gerald Henderson scored 21 points to lead the Bobcats, who have lost nine straight overall and 22 of their last 24 games at home.

Bulls 89, Jazz 88 In Chicago, Marco Belinelli made a 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds left to lift the Chicago Bulls over the Utah Jazz.

Belinelli missed a potential tying jumper, but got a second chance when Joakim Noah grabbed the rebound. Jimmy Butler then swung the ball back out to Belinelli in the corner, and he connected on the fallaway 3 to put Chicago in front to stay. Gordon Hayward missed a jumper on the other end for Utah, and Butler secured the rebound as the horn sounded.

Belinelli and Carlos Boozer had 22 points apiece for Chicago.

Al Jefferson scored 23 points in his return to the lineup for the Jazz.

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