Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - LeBron James scored a game-high 34 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists to lead the Miami Heat to a 104-96 overtime win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday.
Chris Bosh scored 25 points and Ray Allen added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Heat, who have won two straight on the heels of a three-game slide.
"I like the grit that we showed in the 2nd half," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Our guys were not happy at halftime and wanted to take a lot more pride in our defense (in the 2nd half)."
Dwyane Wade (rest) and Chris Andersen (right knee contusion) did not play.
Al Jefferson scored 22 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, Ramon Sessions had 16 points and five assists and Gerald Henderson finished with 11 points and five assists for the Bobcats, losers in five of their last seven.
"We play hard. You just can't mistakes against Miami. They really picked their defense up in overtime," Jefferson said.
Charlotte guard Kemba Walker left the game in the third quarter with a left ankle sprain. Walker appeared to roll his ankle on Bosh's foot as he drove to the hoop. He immediately fell to the ground and was helped to the locker room. X-rays were negative, but he did not return to the game. He finished with six points and eight assists before exiting.
Miami took its first lead since the 1:21 mark of the first on James' ferocious reverse dunk just moments into the fourth quarter. James beat his defender on the baseline before throwing down a rim-rattling slam to make it 77-76.
Later in the quarter, Sessions made it 86-83 with his layup, but Bosh knocked down a 3-pointer to knot things up. Henderson and James traded jumpers before the latter put the Heat ahead by two with 3:45 remaining with an off-balanced shot. Jefferson tied it with a layup at the 3:18 mark, but neither side got a shot to fall the rest of the way to force the extra session.
The Heat outscored Charlotte 14-6 in overtime to run away with the win. Bosh got things started with a jumper from just inside the 3-point line in the corner. Udonis Haslem added a pair of free throws for a four-point spread, but Anthony Tolliver answered with a trey to make it a one-point game.
After Allen knocked down a runner, Josh McRoberts hit a pair of free throws to make it 96-95, but it would be as close as Charlotte would get the rest of the way.
James scored six points as part of a quick 8-1 flurry to close out the contest.
"The game dictated itself for me to be aggressive throughout. It felt good," James said.
Charlotte led 29-27 after the first quarter and took a 60-53 entering the break. Miami cut into the deficit in the third, outscoring the Bobcats 22-16, to make it 76-75 entering the final frame.
Game Notes
Miami improved to 2-1 in overtime this season, while Charlotte fell to 2-2 ... Heat center Greg Oden played just less than five minutes. He scored one point and pulled down three rebounds in his second game with Miami ... The Heat, which entered the game last in the NBA in rebounding, outrebounded the Bobcats 43-34 ... McRoberts had 10 points in the setback.
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