Chris Bosh finished with 20 for the Heat, who won for just the second time in their past six games. James got Miami going with 20 in the first half, Wade then helped seal the win with 22 in the second half.

It was the 100th regular-season win for Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, in his 182nd game.

Andray Blatche scored 26 points and had nine rebounds for Washington, which is 0-8 on the road. Gilbert Arenas added 23 for Washington.

The Wizards were without No. 1 draft pick John Wall, who missed his second straight game with a bruised right knee.

Thunder 95 Hornets 89: In Oklahoma City, Russell Westbrook scored 12 of his 25 points during a decisive 14-0 run late in the fourth quarter and also had 11 assists as the Thunder rallied to beat the Hornets.

Westbrook scored six in a row to tie the game, then kept going with a driving layup and a 3-pointer that put the Thunder up 88-81 with 1:38 to play. After the 3-pointer, he mocked slamming guns down into holsters at his side.

Kevin Durant hit four free throws down the stretch to seal the game and finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds.

David West scored 20 points to lead New Orleans but missed his final six shots while Oklahoma City was making its comeback. Chris Paul added 17 points, 14 assists and five steals as the Hornets lost for the fourth time in five games after an 11-1 start.

Mavericks 101 Rockets 91: In Dallas, Caron Butler scored 13 of his 19 points during a decisive third-quarter run, Dirk Nowitzki had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and the Mavericks stretched their winning streak to six games with a victory over the Rockets.

Shawn Marion added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and J.J Barea scored 11 for Dallas.

Kevin Martin’s 17 points and Luis Scola’s 15 paced the Rockets, who’ve lost six of eight.

Dallas used a 17-6 third-quarter spurt capped by 11 straight from Butler to expand a seven-point halftime edge to 77-59.

The Mavs carried an 83-71 lead into the final quarter, and were up by as many as 22 down the stretch.

Jazz 109 Bucks 88: In Salt Lake City, Al Jefferson had 22 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots to lead the Jazz to a victory over injury-depleted Milwaukee.

Deron Williams also scored 22 points for the Jazz (14-5), who have won six straight.

Brandon Jennings led Milwaukee (6-11) with 27 points while Ersan Ilyasova added 18 for the Bucks. Milwaukee, again missing three key players because of injury, made 7 of 12 3-pointers in the first half to keep it close.

But the Bucks couldn’t keep up with Utah’s inside game without big men Andrew Bogut and Drew Gooden . The Jazz held a 54-18 advantage in the paint and 48-26 edge in rebounds. They also had 10 blocked shot.
 
Ilgauskas not sure what awaits him in Cleveland

Meantime, a former Cleveland favorite is about to return to his former home for the first time as an opponent, a bit eager to find out what sort of reception he’ll receive when fans see him wearing Miami Heat colors.

We’re not talking LeBron James, of course.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas has played 391 games at Cleveland during his career. No. 392 will be like none of the others, not with fans still scorned by James’ decision to leave — and, perhaps more notably, how he revealed that decision to the world.

Time has not healed that wound just yet, and those fans are likely to make the Cavaliers’ home floor seem most unfriendly when the Heat visit Thursday night.

“To be honest with you, I don’t know what to expect,” Ilgauskas said. “It’s my first time as a visitor. I’m not going to separate myself from the team. I’m part of the Heat now, so these are my guys and obviously we are going to get a harsh, harsh reception as a team.”

It’ll be a quick trip.

Miami plays at home against Detroit on Wednesday night, and the Heat aren’t expected to arrive at their hotel until the wee hours of Thursday morning. A walkthrough at the hotel will take place Thursday afternoon, the Heat will board buses for the arena, arrive for an 8 p.m. game and then get shuttled back to the airport for a flight home to Miami.

So there’ll be almost no time to see old friends, check out old favorite haunts, anything like that.

“This is going to be a unique situation,” said Ilgauskas, Miami’s starting center who’s averaging 6.2 points for the Heat. “The biggest part that people forget, there’s still a game for both teams to play that both teams want to win. We’re going to have to do the best we can to focus, to block out the outside attention.”

And there will be tons of that, of course. The Cavaliers say this game — LeBron’s return — is generating as much media interest as an Eastern Conference finals contest.

James has been thinking for some time about the reaction he’ll get: He knows he won’t be cheered, but can’t help but wonder how negative things will seem that night.

With Ilgauskas, it’s different.

Like James, he was a free agent. Like James, he chose Miami. Unlike James, he’s not going to need a security detail on Thursday. While there were surely some Cavaliers fans who didn’t want to see Ilgauskas leave, he struck nowhere nearly as deep a chord as James’ decision did.

“It’s going to be difficult and I think he knows that,” Ilgauskas said. “It’s just a lot of hatred out there right now. People are going to pour out their feelings. But it’s still a basketball game. He didn’t kill anybody. He didn’t commit any crimes. I just hope nothing stupid happens.”

It’s really a second homecoming for Ilgauskas.

He is Cleveland’s all-time leader in rebounds, games played and blocked shots, and was traded by the Cavaliers to Washington last February. Ilgauskas never played for the Wizards, arranged a contract buyout, then returned to the Cavs — to a hero’s welcome, really.

On the day he returned, fans gave him a standing ovation, many hoisting placards with “Z” on them.

This return won’t be the same, which is understandable. He may have been beloved, but he’s on the team Clevelanders love to hate.

“I know it’s going to be a hard, emotional game,” said Ilgauskas, the 7-foot-3 Lithuanian who Cleveland drafted in 1996. “But that’s life, so you cannot worry.”