Associated Press
The NBA roundup …
BOSTON ó Paul Pierce scored 29 points, reserve Leon Powe had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat Cleveland 105-94 on Friday night to move within percentage points of the Cavaliers in the race for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavaliers (48-13) lead Boston (49-14) in winning percentage .787 to .778, though the Celtics took the lead in the head-to-head tiebreaker, 2-1, with an April 12 game in Cleveland remaining.
Mo Williams scored 26 for Cleveland and LeBron James had 21, shooting just 5-of-15 from the field to go with 9-for-12 from the line. He spent the final minutes on the bench after the Cavaliers couldn’t narrow a double-digit deficit.
Heat 108, Raptors 102
TORONTO ó Dwyane Wade had 42 points, eight assists and six rebounds, and Miami snapped a six-game losing streak against Toronto.
Wade shot 17-for-23 and topped 40 points for the fourth time in seven games, a run in which he also posted a career-high 50 points and two 30-point performances. The NBA’s leading scorer came in averaging 35.8 points since the All-Star break, also tops in the league.
Chris Bosh scored 34 points and Andrea Bargnani had 23 for Toronto, which has lost four straight.
Magic 105, Nets 102
ORLANDO, Fla. ó Dwight Howard had 26 points and 15 rebounds, and Orlando rallied to beat New Jersey for its third consecutive victory.
Rashard Lewis added 21 points, and Hedo Turkoglu scored 13 for the Magic, who have won four of their last five.
Devin Harris had 25 points and nine assists, and Vince Carter had 19 points for the Nets, who went 1-for-8 over the last 6:16. Carter missed a potential tying 3-pointer from the top of the key as time expired to seal the Magic’s win.
Pistons 108, Warriors 91
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. ó Richard Hamilton scored 22 points and Detroit beat Golden State for its fourth straight victory.
Jason Maxiell had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Tayshaun Prince also scored 16 for Detroit, which got points from all 12 players. Rodney Stuckey had 14 points and eight assists.
Jamal Crawford scored 25 points for Golden State, which lost for the fifth time in six games.