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NBA roundup: Nets complete season sweep of Heat

Joe Johnson scored 19 points, Mason Plumlee was credited with a block on LeBron James’s dunk attempt in the final seconds, and the Brooklyn Nets finished off a four-game season sweep of Miami by beating the Heat, 88-87, at Miami Tuesday night.

It was the third time Brooklyn beat Miami by a single point; the other came in double-overtime.

Marcus Thornton scored 16 points and Paul Pierce added 14 for the Nets, who became the first team in the last two years to sweep the Heat. Miami was the only team in the league to beat every team last season and would have repeated that feat with a win Tuesday.

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James had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists for the Heat, who remained a half-game ahead of Indiana, and one in the loss column, in the race for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Chris Bosh scored 12 and Norris Cole added 10 for Miami.

Up 1, Johnson took a jumper that was way off with 11 seconds left. Miami controlled the rebound and the ball was sent to James, who attacked the rim and went up for a dunk that Plumlee contested.

The Heat argued for a foul, none was called, and time expired.

Timberwolves 110, Spurs 91 — Ricky Rubio scored 23 points and Gorgui Dieng had 12 points and 15 rebounds for host Minnesota.

Kevin Love had 19 points and 12 rebounds and Corey Brewer scored 14 points and the Timberwolves, who have beaten Miami and San Antonio in two of their last three games.

Kawhi Leonard had 11 points and six rebounds for the Spurs, who were playing without Tony Parker and have now lost two of three following a 19-game winning streak. Parker has a back injury, but coach Gregg Popovich said he didn’t believe it was that serious.

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Pistons 102, Hawks 95 — Rodney Stuckey scored 29 points, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond each had a double-double and Detroit snapped a 10-game skid in Atlanta.

Atlanta has five games left in the regular season and a 1½-game advantage over New York for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Mavericks 95, Jazz 83 — Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, and Dallas won in Salt Lake City for its fifth consecutive victory.

Dallas shot 56 percent from the field and had six players score in double figures. Monta Ellis scored 16 points and Vince Carter added 13.

Thunder 107, Kings 92 — Caron Butler made all six of his 3-point attempts to finish with 23 points, and visiting Oklahoma City started the fourth quarter on a 16-0 run to pull away for a victory over Sacramento.

Kevin Durant scored 23 points but was never needed in the final quarter, stopping his consecutive games streak with least 25 points at 41.

Rockets 145, Lakers 130 — Terrence Jones and James Harden scored 33 points apiece, and visiting Houston kept up its playoff push with its third straight victory.

Chandler Parsons scored 19 points for the Rockets, who used a 49-point third quarter to solidify their hold on fourth place in the Western Conference standings.