Celtics beat the Heat again

LeBron James and the Miami Heat couldn't win in Boston in the regular season. And now they might have to do it in the playoffs.

Rajon Rondo had a triple-double, and James missed a crucial free throw with 12.5 seconds left in the Celtics' 85-82 victory over Miami on Sunday. Boston improved to 3-0 against the Heat this season, taking back the top spot in the East and clinching the potential tiebreaker for home-court advantage in the playoffs.

The teams will play again in Miami on April 10.

"They're going to be a different team in March and April, the more important months, when we'll probably have to see them again," said Paul Pierce, who was 0-for-10 from the floor and scored just one point. "It gives us the series in case something happens with a tiebreaker."

The Celtics have won 12 of the last 13 games against Miami, including a 4-1 series victory in the first round of last year's playoffs; they then knocked James and the Cleveland Cavaliers out in the next round. James fled to Miami to join Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, but the Heat still haven't been able to beat Boston.

"This is classic, typical bigger brothers," Wade said. "You've got to get over the hump. We're getting closer and closer, but we're not there yet. It can happen at any time. It can happen in the playoffs."

Bosh scored 24 with 10 rebounds and James had 22 points for Miami, which had won eight in a row.

Kevin Garnett scored 19 with seven rebounds and Kendrick Perkins had a season-high 15 points for Boston, which snapped a two-game losing streak. Rondo had 11 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds while bothering James enough to force him into four first-half turnovers.

Wizards 115, Cavaliers 100: Nick Young scored 31 points, John Wall had 19 points and 14 assists and Washington snapped its 25-game road winless streak with a win at Cleveland, which reverted to its losing ways one game after ending its record 26-game losing skid.

Magic 89, Lakers 75: Dwight Howard had 31 points and 13 rebounds as host Orlando earned its first victory over a winning team in more than a month.

Los Angeles’ loss snapped a four-game winning streak. They conclude their seven-game road trip with visits to Charlotte tonight and Cleveland on Wednesday.

Grizzlies 116, Nuggets 108: Darrell Arthur scored a career-high 24 points and Zach Randolph led a late rally that helped Memphis erase a 17-point third-quarter deficit against visiting Denver.

Raptors 98, Clippers 93: Andrea Bargnani scored 27 points, Ed Davis had 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds and Toronto Raptors beat visiting Los Angeles.

Trail Blazers 105, Pistons 100: At Auburn Hills, Mich., LaMarcus Aldridge scored 36 points, Wesley Matthews added 24 and Portland beat Detroit for its fourth straight victory.

Warriors 100, Thunder 94: At Oakland, Calif., Monta Ellis had 32 points, David Lee added 23 points and a season-high 19 rebounds and Golden State led the entire fourth quarter on its way to a win over Oklahoma City.

Kings 113, Suns 108: Donte Greene scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and Sacramento, playing without DeMarcus Cousins, ended a five-game losing streak with a victory at Phoenix.

The rookie Cousins, averaging just under 14 points a game, did not make the trip because of an altercation in the locker room with Greene after the Kings’ 99-97 home loss to Oklahoma City on Saturday night.