Charlotte Pick Up 7th Straight Against Nuggets – NBA Roundup

UNDATED (AP) — Dwyane (dwayn) Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh each scored at least 22 points on Monday night to help the Miami Heat accomplish three things. The Heat ended their three-game losing streak, clinched an NBA playoff berth and pulled within one game of the Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Pacers.

Wade scored 13 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter as the Heat rallied late to beat Washington 99-90. Miami trailed by one midway through the final period before Wade sparked a 12-0 run with five points, three assists and a block at the rim.

James led all scorers with 23 points and Bosh added 22 to help the Heat avoid their first four-game losing streak since 2011.

Also in the NBA:

— Blake Griffin scored 37 points and Darren Collison added 20 in the Los Angeles Clippers' 112-105 win against Phoenix. Griffin was 14 of 16 from the field and 9 of 10 from the line as the Clippers picked up their eighth straight win and stretched their lead in the Pacific Division to 4 ½ games over Golden State.

— Brooklyn was a 101-97 winner against Toronto behind 18 points apiece from Deron Williams and Shaun Livingston. The Nets won their season-high eighth straight at home and moved within three games of the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors.

— Charlotte picked up its seventh straight home win as Al Jefferson scored 26 points and Kemba Walker added 24 in a 105-98 victory against Denver. Jefferson made 10 of his first 14 field-goal attempts and also had a game-high 12 rebounds.

— Philadelphia absorbed its 17th consecutive loss as Tim Hardaway Jr. pounred in 28 points and Amar'e Stoudemire added 23 in New York's 123-110 triumph over the 76ers. J.R. Smith chipped in 22 points and Carmelo Anthony had 20 in the Knicks' fourth straight win.

— Kyle Korver scored 26 points and Paul Millsap added 23 to help Atlanta nip Utah 112-110 and snap a six-game losing streak. The Hawks used a late 16-4 run to end a 10-game road skid and salvage the finale of a six-game road trip.

— Brandon Knight scored 24 points and Milwaukee rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat Orlando 105-98. The Bucks ended a three-game skid and dropped the Magic's road record to 4-30.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers rookie forward Anthony Bennett is expected to miss at least three weeks with a strained left knee. The No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft underwent an MRI on Sunday that showed the injury.

His injury is the latest setback in what has been a disappointing first season for Bennett, who is averaging only 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13 minutes per game.