Heat 94, Pelicans 88 (OT)
MIAMI – Forward Chris Bosh scored a game-high 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Miami Heat to a 94-88 overtime victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday afternoon at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Bosh's 30 points, which came in 43 minutes, matched his season high. Heat center Hassan Whiteside had a game-high 17 rebounds.
Miami guard Dwyane Wade, who scored 19 points, improved to 10-1 on Christmas Day. That's the best record in NBA history for any player who has played at least 10 Christmas games.
The Heat have won seven straight games on Christmas.
Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, who ranks in the top 10 in the NBA in points, rebounds, blocks and double-doubles, played his first Christmas Day game and delivered a big performance with 29 points and 15 rebounds.
Davis, who was held to seven points and four rebounds in the second half, missed a long corner jumper just before the buzzer that could have won the game in regulation.
The Pelicans had their two-game win streak snapped. After a 1-11 start, the Pelicans are 8-9 since.
Miami (17-11), which didn't trail until the fourth quarter, received a boost with the return of point guard Goran Dragic, who had missed his team's previous game because of a left wrist injury. Dragic had seven points and six assists against the Pelicans.
Miami, which got off to a 7-0 start, led 27-15 at the end of the first quarter. Among the highlights in the quarter were Whiteside's 11 rebounds -- including five on the offensive glass -- and Davis scoring or assisting on all of New Orleans' points.
New Orleans closed its deficit to 42-38 at halftime. Davis finished the first half with numbers that would be excellent for an entire game -- 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
Meanwhile, the Heat, which led by as many as 13 points in the first half, were unable to pull away because of poor shooting from the field (36.4 percent) and too many turnovers (11).
Miami pushed its lead back to 11, closing the third quarter with a 63-52 advantage. Davis was held to three points in the quarter, making just 1 of 4 shots from the floor.
New Orleans caught up in the fourth quarter by shooting 57.9 percent from the floor. Reserve forward Ryan Anderson scored 12 of his 18 points in the quarter.
NOTES: Heat G Tyler Johnson (shoulder) sat out Friday. Johnson hasn't been injury free since Dec. 9, but he responded well after Thursday's practice and is nearing a return. ... Heat F Josh McRoberts (knee) missed his eighth straight game. ... Pelicans C Alexis Ajinca, who has been battling a calf injury, was on the active roster. ... Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry coached the Heat in 1994-95, posting a 15-21 record. ... The Pelicans have two former Heat players -- PG Norris Cole and G Toney Douglas. ... New Orleans' improved play has a lot to do with the return of G Tyreke Evans, who missed the first 17 games with a knee injury.