Charlotte 103, Miami 112

Dwyane Wade shook off a bruised thigh to go 15 of 16 from the free throw line and finish with 27 points as the Miami Heat stayed in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 112-103 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday.

Chris Bosh added 27 points and 10 rebounds and LeBron James collected 23 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Heat (55-24), who remained tied with the Boston Celtics (55-24) for the No. 2 spot. The Chicago Bulls (59-20) clinched the top spot with a win at Cleveland on Friday.

Miami plays host to Boston on Sunday.

The Heat shot 56 percent in the first half to take an 11-point lead, 55-44, at the half and held that advantage through most of the third quarter. The Bobcats made a brief run in the fourth, cutting it to 106-100 with 58 seconds left.

But James found Bosh for a layup and hit four free throws down the stretch to seal it.

Kwame Brown recorded 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Bobcats (32-47), who have dropped five straight.

• Miami will play their next game at home against Boston. The Heat have a W/L % of .759 after a win and .560 after a loss.
• Charlotte will play their next game at home against Detroit. The Bobcats have a W/L % of .438 after a win and .383 after a loss.