MIAMI - When the Heat has its starting lineup intact, it's one of the East's top teams.
It proved it Saturday.
Dwyane Wade and Eddie Jones scored 17 apiece in a 101-69 rout of fading Philadelphia. It was the Heat's fourth consecutive victory and seventh in eight games. It also improved to 14-7 with Wade, Jones, Caron Butler, Lamar Odom and Brian Grant starting together - the lineup team president and former coach Pat Riley assembled to lead the franchise back to prominence.
"We're so much better when we're healthy," Butler said. "Coach always says that when we get our core guys together, we're amazing to watch. Now it's really happening for us. We know anything can happen, even in the playoffs."
The 76ers are headed in the opposite direction. They have lost four in a row, are falling way back in the race for the final playoff spot and dealing with trade rumors surrounding star Allen Iverson.
"I'm not going to say it's the final blow until it's the final out," guard Eric Snow said. "It's possible that we can get back in it."
After a strong second quarter and a fast start in the third quarter, the Heat led 49-35. But Kenny Thomas scored 13 in the third to cut the lead to 60-55. That was as close as Philly got.
SPURS 103, CELTICS 87: Tim Duncan marked his return to host San Antonio's starting lineup with 26 points and 15 rebounds to beat Boston for the 12th straight time. Manu Ginobili added 26 points in 24 minutes for San Antonio.
Duncan was 10-of-13 and made all six of his free throws while leading a defense that limited Boston to 34 second-half points. The Celtics, who trailed by four at the break, tied at 57 on a short fadeaway jumper by Paul Pierce with 9:48 left in the third. Tony Parker then made an 18-footer and Duncan had a breakaway dunk off a steal.
BULLS 87, KNICKS 81: Jamal Crawford hit a baseline jumper with 3.6 seconds left, completing a 25-point effort and sealing it for host Chicago.
Crawford and Eddy Curry, who had 25 points on 9-for-11 shooting to go with 14 rebounds, helped Chicago to its 20th win.
Kurt Thomas led the Knicks with 17 points. New York, which dropped a half-game behind Miami for sixth in the East, played without injured guard Allan Houston and lost Tim Thomas to a groin strain after the first quarter.
After a jumper by New York's Kurt Thomas cut the deficit to two with 26 seconds to go, the Bulls worked the clock, and Crawford dribbled to the corner and sealed it by arcing in his jumper over two defenders.
JAZZ 87, HAWKS 81: Andrei Kirilenko and Raja Bell each scored 18, and visiting Utah won for the fifth time in seven games. Utah won its second straight to move into a tie with Denver for eighth in the West. The Nuggets, who own the tiebreaker, were idle and play today at Minnesota.
Bob Sura had 19 points to lead the Hawks, who have lost two straight, four of five and eight of 10. Atlanta had won two straight at home against the Jazz, but Utah won for the 10th time in their past 12 matchups.
GRIZZLIES 99, PACERS 95: James Posey scored 16, including seven in the closing two minutes, to lead host Memphis. Posey's three-point play with 1:29 left came late in a 12-0 run that gave the Grizzlies a 97-90 lead. A layup by Ron Artest, a steal by Al Harrington and a 3-pointer by Jamaal Tinsley made it 97-95.
Indiana got a chance to go for a tie or the win after Jason Williams missed a jumper with 19 seconds left, but Reggie Miller missed a short running jumper with seven seconds to go. Posey drew a foul and ended the scoring by hitting two free throws.
SUNS 123, BUCKS 111: Amare Stoudemire scored 27 as Phoenix reached a season high in points and broke a five-game home losing streak. The victory was the 16th in a row at home over the slumping Bucks. Overall, the Suns have won only seven of their past 27, while Milwaukee has lost seven of eight.
At halftime, Charles Barkley was inducted into the Suns' Ring of Honor.
