James scores 38 as Heat prevail in OT

LeBron James scored 38 points, Michael Beasley made two free throws with 9.2 seconds left to put Miami up for good, and the Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 121-119 in overtime on Monday night in Miami.

The Heat wasted an early 13-0 lead, then rallied from seven points down in the final 90 seconds of the fourth quarter. Ray Allen made three free throws with 8 seconds left in regulation to send it to overtime.

Allen finished with 19 points, Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen each scored 12, and Chris Bosh finished with 11 for the Heat, who played without Dwyane Wade and still beat the Hawks for the ninth straight time.

Indiana 103, Brooklyn 86 - Lance Stephenson scored a career-high 26 points in his hometown and the Pacers went on to an easy victory over the Nets. Stephenson, who recorded his NBA-leading third triple-double of the season Sunday in a rout of Boston, did most of his damage as a scorer, back where he did plenty of it in high school. He became the career scoring leader in New York, scoring nearly 3,000 points at Abraham Lincoln High.

New York 103, Orlando 98 - Carmelo Anthony had 19 points before leaving the game with a sprained left ankle in the third quarter, but the Knicks were able to stave off a fierce charge to preserve a victory over the Magic in Orlando. New York led by as many as 25 points before having its lead cut all the way to a basket in the fourth quarter.

Detroit 115, Cleveland 92 - Josh Smith scored 25 points and the Pistons continued their success on the road with a win over the Cavaliers in Cleveland. The Pistons have won seven of their last eight away from home, including victories against defending NBA champion Miami and Indiana, which has the best record in the Eastern Conference.

- Associated Press