Streaking Bulls Top Bobcats

The Chicago Bulls extended their season-high winning streak to nine games and moved 10 games over .500 with a 112-97 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats Saturday at Chicago.

Despite playing without two starters, the Bulls (41-31) moved a half-game behind the Washington Wizards for the fourth seeding in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Center Eddy Curry sat out for the third consecutive time and remained hospitalized for more testing on an irregular heartbeat. Rookie forward Luol Deng also sat out because of a sprained right wrist.

Curry was having the tests at Rush University Medical Center and will stay in the hospital for several more days. The team said a treatment plan will be clearer by Monday when the tests are completed.

Kirk Hinrich played despite a sore left hamstring, and Ben Gordon played only 13 minutes because of foul trouble.

Chicago started to pull away late in the third quarter. Eric Piatkowski and Jannero Pargo made consecutive three-point shots and Andres Nocioni converted a three-point play to give the Bulls an 81-71 lead.

Charlotte lost its fourth in a row and is 1-22 on the road against Eastern Conference opponents.

Rookie Emeka Okafor was impressive for the Bobcats, finishing with 28 points and 16 rebounds -- his 40th double-double.

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Miami 111, New Orleans 99 -- Shaquille O’Neal had 34 points and 15 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 33, and the two combined for more than a dozen dunks to help the Heat beat the Hornets at New Orleans.

Wade and O’Neal entered the game averaging a combined 47.1 points, a mark they surpassed in the third quarter, when the Heat led by as many as 20.

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Orlando 103, New Jersey 102 -- Refusing to quit despite all sorts of adversity, the Magic mounted several comebacks and defeated the Nets at East Rutherford, N.J., to clinch the tiebreaker between the teams.

The Magic, playing without starters Grant Hill and Jameer Nelson, had lost 11 of 14 and was at risk of falling two games behind Philadelphia for eighth place in the East.

Orlando won the season series between the teams, 3-1, and passed New Jersey in the conference standings.

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Denver 103, Portland 97 -- The victory at Portland gave the Nuggets a 23-6 record under Coach George Karl. The Trail Blazers went scoreless for almost seven minutes during the fourth quarter.