MIAMI (AP) — Chris Bosh had 23 points and 11 rebounds and the Miami Heat beat Sacramento 116-109 on Thursday night, taking advantage of Kings star DeMarcus Cousins’ one-game suspension.
Cousins, averaging 30.8 points in his last five games, was suspended for hitting Atlanta’s Al Horford in the head with a forearm Wednesday night in the Kings’ loss to the Hawks. The Kings are 0-5 without Cousins this season and 11-38 since he joined the team in 2010.
Dwyane Wade added 22 points, and Tyler Johnson had 19 for Miami. The Heat have won four of five during their seven-game homestand that wraps up with games against Philadelphia and New York.
Sacramento’s Rajon Rondo had a season-high 18 assists, 14 points and nine rebounds after having three triple-doubles in his previous four games. He’s averaging 14.2 points, 14.2 assists and 9.8 rebounds in his past five games.
Marco Belinelli led the Kings with 23 points.
The Heat had a 10-point advantage at halftime and an 82-76 edge at end of the third quarter. Unlike their 103-91 loss Tuesday night to Minnesota, which outscored Miami 41-22 in the final quarter, the Heat pulled away from the Kings in the fourth.
Gerald Green and Goran Dragic hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Justise Winslow slammed home a dunk for a quick 8-0 burst and a 97-81 lead. The Kings would get as close as five with a minute left.
Kings forward Rudy Gay strained his left shoulder in the third quarter and did not return. Gay was hurt driving to the basket when Winslow took a swipe at the ball.
Amare Stoudemire sparked the Heat with 10 points off the bench in the first quarter. Stoudemire had not played in the last eight games due to soreness in his knees, but the 33-year-old forward showed flashes of his days when he was a six-time All-Star with a dunk and jumper on back-to-back possessions.