O’Neal Makes Sure the Heat Stays Hot

When the Miami Heat gave Shaquille O’Neal a chance to keep its winning streak going, he passed. Twice.

Two nifty assists by O’Neal sparked a 13-point run late in the fourth quarter by the Heat, which won its eighth game in a row, beating the Orlando Magic, 117-107, Sunday night at Miami.

“I found my shooters a couple of times,” O’Neal said. “They know if they get open, I’m going to hit them for the high-percentage shot.”

The Heat trailed much of the game and was down, 103-102, with five minutes left before O’Neal helped Miami surge ahead.

On consecutive possessions, O’Neal dunked, fed Eddie Jones for a three-point basket that put Miami ahead to stay, then passed to Christian Laettner for a layup to make it 107-103. O’Neal’s three-point play a minute later made it 110-103.

“At the end we just ran everything through Shaq,” Coach Stan Van Gundy said. “As the game goes on, the quick guys get tired and a little slower, but the big guys don’t shrink.”

O’Neal finished with 27 points and five assists.

The Heat is on its longest winning streak since March 1998.

“We’re getting better and putting together wins,” O’Neal said. “We’re not blowing people out all the time, but we’ll get to that.”

Steve Francis led Orlando with 31 points.

Sacramento 107, New Orleans 71 -- Peja Stojakovic scored 21 points and the Kings used a 35-14 third period to win easily at Sacramento despite Chris Webber’s absence because of a sore left knee. New Orleans (2-21) has lost 13 of its last 14 games.

New York 94, Utah 93 -- Jamal Crawford scored 11 of his 24 points in the final five minutes in the Knicks’ victory at New York.

Matt Harpring scored 21 for Utah, which lost at New York for the first time in eight years.

Toronto 110, New Jersey 99 -- Lamond Murray scored 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter at Toronto in the Raptors’ first victory of the post-Vince Carter era.

Carter wasn’t at the Air Canada Centre because Toronto’s trade with New Jersey isn’t expected to be finalized until today.

Morris Peterson led Toronto with 20 points. Richard Jefferson had 28 points for New Jersey.

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Denver Nugget forward Carmelo Anthony will miss tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns because of a sprained ankle. Anthony sprained his left ankle during a loss to Miami on Friday when he landed on Shaquille O’Neal’s foot.