Nets Get Heated Over Miami Loss

Vince Carter and Lawrence Frank vehemently argued for a foul, and Alonzo Mourning later acknowledged that the New Jersey Nets may have had a point.

Yet to Mourning and the Miami Heat, what ultimately mattered was being one point better.

Dwyane Wade made a free throw with 5.2 seconds left, then blocked Carter’s potentially game-winning layup at the buzzer to give Miami a 90-89 victory over visiting New Jersey on Monday night and end a two-game losing streak.

“All ball,” Wade said.

“A win is a win, regardless of how you look at it,” Mourning said. “We needed a win.”

On the final play, Carter drove left toward the basket -- but his shot was slapped away by Wade, who was helping Mourning protect the rim.

“I was hoping he didn’t pull up and shoot a jumper, because he was on,” Mourning said. “I wanted him to come to the hole, so I did the best I could. I just jumped straight into the air. They could have called a foul.... I didn’t think it was a foul, but things went our way this evening.”

Wade, who had 23 points, drove on the Nets’ Jason Kidd and was fouled -- a call that also didn’t sit well with Frank and the Nets. Wade made the second of two free throws, setting up the game-ending drama.

“I certainly thought I was going to get the call,” said Carter, who was 14 of 21 from the floor and finished with a game-high 32 points. “There was a lot of contact on that play. At least two guys hit me.”

Frank, the Nets’ coach, ran halfway across the court to plead his case, but his team -- which rallied from a pair of double-digit deficits after halftime -- left bitter after losing to Miami for the 10th time in a row.

“Never would I question the officials’ judgment, but there didn’t seem to be a great deal of contact on that play,” Frank said, referring to Kidd’s foul of Wade. “There was no intentional foul. I guess there was a whole lot more contact on that play than the next play.”

Cleveland 105, Toronto 93 -- LeBron James had 27 points to lead six players in double figures, and the Cavaliers never trailed after the first quarter at Toronto in sending the Raptors to an 0-4 start for the first time in franchise history.

Larry Hughes scored 16 points for the Cavaliers, who salvaged the last game of their three-game trip.

Chris Bosh had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Raptors.

San Antonio 104, Chicago 95 -- Tim Duncan finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds, and Tony Parker scored eight of his 22 in overtime to lead the Spurs at Chicago.

Parker also had nine assists, and Duncan blocked six shots.

Tied at 91-91 after regulation, the Spurs outscored Chicago, 13-4, in overtime.

Luol Deng led Chicago with 19 points.

Utah 95, Charlotte 91 -- Mehmet Okur scored seven of his career-high 31 points in overtime at Salt Lake City to help the Jazz prevail despite losing a 14-point lead in the third quarter.

Primoz Brezec, Sean May and Jumaine Jones scored 13 points each for the Bobcats, trying to win three in a row for the first time in franchise history.

The Bobcats became the third team to play three overtime games in its first four games, and the first since the Lakers in 1991.

Charlotte’s leading scorer, Gerald Wallace, did not play in the second half after getting hit in the head on a drive to the basket in the second quarter.