Bosh's season-high 35 lift Heat past Suns 123-96

[November 18, 2010]  MIAMI (AP) -- All Chris Bosh needed to get his scoring touch back was a matchup with the Phoenix Suns.

And it didn't even take a full night's work.

Bosh scored a season-high 35 points before sitting out the fourth quarter, LeBron James finished with 20 points and the Miami Heat ran away from the Suns 123-96 on Wednesday.

Dwyane Wade added 17 points, six rebounds and six assists for Miami, which used two big runs -- a 24-9 spurt to end the first half, followed by an 18-3 flurry that closed the third quarter -- to snap the Suns' three-game winning streak. James also had nine assists and eight boards.

All five Phoenix starters scored in double figures, led by Steve Nash's 17. Nash only had two assists, matching his lowest total since Dec. 29, 2008, against Oklahoma City, a span of 141 games.

Grant Hill scored 15 and Channing Frye added 14 for the Suns. Eddie House scored 15 for Miami, which outrebounded the Suns 42-32.

Bosh started quickly -- not a surprise given his recent history against Phoenix.

He hit his first four shots and had 14 points by the time the game was 9 minutes old. He has topped 30 points in three of his last six meetings with Phoenix -- yet oddly, hadn't been part of a win over the Suns since Feb. 10, 2004.

By the time Bosh went to the bench for the evening, snapping that streak was certain.

Miami wasted a 22-point home lead at home against Utah last week, and for a moment in the third quarter, the Heat seemed on the brink of blowing another huge edge. Nash's finger-roll with 3:14 left in the third cut what had been a 25-point Miami edge minutes earlier to 82-70, sending some anxiety through the building.

No need.

Bosh scored the game's next seven points, kickstarting a run that put things away for Miami. House, a reserve, hit a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left to get the lead back to 24, and Wade had a spectacular three-point play -- defensive rebound at one end, drive downcourt, finger-roll layup while getting fouled and then highstepping past photographers -- to make it 100-73 entering the fourth.

NOTES: Heat F Juwan Howard, who was getting quality minutes for the first time this season, broke his nose. His availability for Friday against Charlotte is unclear. ... Suns C Earl Barron made his Phoenix debut, one day after signing with the club. Barron was part of Miami's 2006 NBA championship club.

[Associated Press; By TIM REYNOLDS]

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