>Heat 98, Hawks 90

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LeBron James collected 34 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as the visiting Miami Heat maintained their grip on the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 98-90 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

Dwayne Wade added 21 points and Chris Bosh scored 15 for the Heat (57-24), who stayed one game ahead of the Boston Celtics with one left to play.

Miami started out red-hot, shooting 63 percent (26 of 41) in the first half to cruise into the break with a 62-46 advantage. James and Wade were a combined 15 of 21 for 36 points before halftime.

The Hawks stepped up on the defensive end after the break, holding the Heat to 17 points in the third and beginning the fourth with a 21-9 burst to pull even, 88-88, with 3:29 remaining.

But after entering the game James Jones converted a four-point play that put the Heat back on top, 92-88. Wade blocked two straight shots on the other end and Jones drained another from beyond the arc to seal it.

Josh Smith had 17 points and six rebounds for Atlanta (44-37).

>Cavaliers get the better of LeBron James for a night

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In an unbearable season of losses, Cleveland got the win it wanted most.

The Cavaliers took down LeBron James.

Despite blowing a 23-point lead, the Cavaliers battled back and beat the Miami Heat, 102-90, on Tuesday night, getting a dose of revenge against James, who was making his second homecoming visit to Cleveland since leaving last summer.

J.J. Hickson scored 21 and Anthony Parker scored 20 for the Cavaliers, who were embarrassed by James and the Heat, 118-90, on Dec. 2 — a night when Cleveland fans unleashed their hatred on the superstar.

This time, James left the court hanging his head. He finished with 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

In the closing seconds, a sellout crowd of 20,562 cut loose at a victory even the most loyal Cleveland fan couldn’t have imagined. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who accused James of quitting in last year’s playoffs after the two-time most valuable player announced in a TV special that he was joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, high-fived anyone within reach.

On the court afterward, Parker, whose last three-point shot with 2:47 left capped a 12-0 run and put the Heat away, addressed the fans.

“You guys deserve it,” he said.

The Cavaliers were a different team — literally — from the one that lay down against the Heat in December. Injuries and trades have reduced Cleveland’s roster to a shell of the one James played with and helped win 60 games last season.

The Heat rallied from 23 down, and tied it at 83-all on Mike Bibby’s seventh three-pointer with 7:03 left. But Miami, which wasted a chance to move into second place in the Eastern Conference, went scoreless for 4:24, allowing the Cavaliers to get their 15th win and their most lopsided victory this season.

Wade scored 24 for the Heat, which had its winning streak stopped at five.

at Oklahoma City 115, Golden State 114 (OT): Kevin Durant scored 39 points and Russell Westbrook hit the winning free throw with 11.4 seconds left in overtime for the Thunder. Durant scored eight of Oklahoma City’s nine points in overtime but served as a decoy to create room along the right side of the lane as Westbrook drove to the basket and was fouled. Westbrook missed his first free throw but made the second to put the Thunder on top. The Warriors’ Monta Ellis missed a jumper from the top of the key at the final buzzer. Stephen Curry led Golden State with 35 points.

Houston 112, at New Jersey 87: Kyle Lowry had 16 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds and the Rockets moved to within two games of the final playoff berth in the Western Conference. Kevin Martin scored 20 points as Houston won for the sixth time in seven games. Brook Lopez had 22 points for the Nets, who lost their third in a row and seventh in eight games. Deron Williams sat out his sixth straight game for New Jersey, which has lost 50 games for the second straight season.

at Sacramento 116, Phoenix 113: Marcus Thornton scored 24 points and had 11 rebounds and the Kings won their season-high fourth straight game. The loss was the third straight and eighth in 11 games for the Suns, who have watched any hopes of the playoffs practically disappear over this stretch.

>Carmelo and Amar’e take Manhattan

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Last month, a blockbuster trade landed Denver Nuggets superstar Carmelo Anthony with the New York Knicks, sparking a media frenzy and hopes for the team’s first NBA championship since 1973. The renewed optimism for Gotham hoops comes as Melo joins former Phoenix Suns sensation Amar’e Stoudemire, who this season inked a five-year deal worth nearly $100 million in the Knicks’ aggressive push for a title — and relevancy.

“The Knicks are a classic franchise, so it’s nice to see them having a moment,” says GQ senior editor Will Welch.

Off the hardwood, both athletes are known as much for their style swagger as they are for their stutter step.

Stoudemire — who threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Yankees-Tampa Bay game in September — has cemented his sartorial standing by wrangling Anna Wintour to Madison Square Garden for a Knicks game.

Meanwhile, Anthony has been a tabloid fixture since Stoudemire threw a star-studded dinner at the West Village’s Spotted Pig to welcome his newest teammate and longtime friend.

The dapper dandies certainly know how to make a Big Apple entrance — pocket square and all. “Amar’e feels like an old soul, in a way,” says Welch.

“He’s got the whole prep thing going on. You see Amar’e in bow ties, chunky-framed glasses and cardigans.”

In 2009, the Brooklyn-born, Baltimore-raised Anthony began working with celebrity stylist Khalilah Williams-Webb, who refined his aesthetic.

Much to her delight, he shaved his trademark braids without nagging.

“My first question for him was, ‘Are you going to shave your braids?’ And he said no. [But] I went to Denver one day, and they were gone. I was so excited,” says Williams-Webb, who recently picked up varsity letterman jackets and crew-neck sweatshirts for the newly minted Knick.

She put him in custom suits with pops of color and tossed the baggy jackets out with his untucked, oversize shirts.

Stoudemire and Anthony, who stand at 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-8, respectively, both have pulled off style coups for men of their height.

The stars — who entered the NBA while in their teens — are devotees of LA-based tailor Waraire Boswell. At 6-foot-7, Boswell is an expert at fitting a taller, more athletic frame.

“Despite all of the money at their disposal, they can’t just walk into Barneys and Bergdorf and buy off the rack,” says Welch. “They have to have their stuff made for them.”

Knicks fans, however, love them best in blue and orange mesh.

Stoudemire, who only started playing organized ball at 14, was drafted into the NBA right out of high school, while Anthony played a year at Syracuse, won a national championship and entered the pros with just one year of college under his belt.

“Both of them have come really close to an NBA championship, but fell short,” says Robert Tuchman, author of “The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live.”

“Being in New York should change that.”

Thus far, the team is trying to jell, and has been streaky at best.

But the new additions have already captured the hearts of basketball and fashion fans alike.

Here’s how they stack up against each other in the personal arena . . .

Not-so-humble abodes

* Stoudemire: The swinging bachelor is in the penthouse of 99 Jane St. that opened in November after the previous tenant, Goldman Sachs banker Richard Kimball Jr., angered neighbors with his hard-partying ways. The $37,500-a-month pad has 4,500 square feet inside and another 4,500 square feet of outdoor space to entertain hopeful gal pals.

* Anthony: The recent arrival hasn’t yet committed to an apartment, but The Post has reported that he’s mulling two locations in SoHo, including the same Mercer Street building where Jon Bon Jovi lives (also the place where Mark Madoff committed suicide in December). He’s reportedly considering the upscale Soho Mews on West Broadway as well.

Marital status

* Stoudemire: “Amar’e is a lot more private with his private life,” says sports author Robert Tuchman. The dapper dandy was linked to Kanye’s ex, Amber Rose, in December, but the pair denied a romantic relationship.

* Anthony: Carmelo Anthony wed MTV personality and longtime girlfriend La La Vazquez at a star-studded ceremony at Cirpriani 42nd Street in July. Amar’e, Kim Kardashian, LeBron James and Spike Lee watched as Melo wed Vazquez, 31, in a custom navy Waraire Boswell tuxedo.

Mass appeal

Stoudemire: The Florida native has made no secret of his design aspirations, and plans to collaborate with Rachel Roy on men’s and women’s collections, to be rolled out in the fall. The pair was spotted discussing details at The Lion in December.

Anthony: While his teammate rubs shoulders with the fashion pack, Melo’s hanging with the VH1 film crew chronicling his and wife La La’s move from Denver to the Big Apple, tentatively called “La La’s Full Court Life.” It’s a follow-up to the network’s “La La’s Full Court Wedding.”

Spectacles

* Stoudemire: He rocks rec specs while posting up on opponents, but in his off-time, Stoudemire gets his cache of nerd-chic glasses from SoHo’s Silver Lining. From chunky, square Arthur Miller styles to the rounded Urkel variety, his frames are an integral part of Stoudemire’s playful, preppy aesthetic.

* Anthony: “He has to have his shades,” says celebrity stylist Khalilah Williams-Webb, who also plucks aviator sunglasses from Silver Lining’s vintage collection. “He loves Silver Lining because they have frames that he knows no one else will have,” she adds.

Vogue love

* Stoudemire: Editrix Anna Wintour is a famous fan of athletes such as Roger Federer and LeBron James; Stoudemire can now join the pantheon. Stoudemire — whom Wintour personally invited to last fall’s Fashion Night Out — has sat front-row with her at a Tommy Hilfiger show and appears in April’s issue, playing a hilarious game of one-on-one with the magazine’s resident dandy, Hamish Bowles.

* Anthony: He’s yet to land a coveted editorial spread, but his stylist hopes New York helps cultivate his fashion profile. “It’s the fashion capital. There are so many things to see here, and the streets are an inspiration,” says Williams-Webb. “I think it will be easier to convince him to try new things.

Style & sensibility

* Stoudemire: The slim power forward, who works with Rachel Johnson, LeBron James’ stylist, favors custom suits by Gucci and Waraire Boswell. “He’s really up on what’s going on right now,” says Welch. “He looks great in a tux, which is really hard when you’re 6-foot-10. He takes risks and pulls them off.” Whether he’s wearing a casual leather jacket and jeans or a bow tie and charcoal pinstripe suit, the fashion phenom hardly makes a style mistep, Welch says. “Amar’e tends to nail it,” he says.

* Anthony: When Melo shed his braids and baggy togs, adopting a cleaner silhouette, he began his ascent into the league’s style elite. “He’s coming into his own and figuring out who he is off the court,” says Welch. “He’s isn’t as consistent as Amar’e. He looks best when he keeps it simple.” He committed some flagrant fouls over the NBA All-Star Weekend when he showed up at one event in a flamboyant plaid suit and at another in a head-to-toe mustard-color ensemble. But Welch insists his best accessory is God-given. “He has an incredible smile,” he says.

>NBA results, March 14

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For the Miami Heat, there was symmetry in the turnabout. Lose by 30 in San Antonio, win by 30 in Miami.
Chris Bosh scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 29 and the Heat got some payback for their worst loss of the season by rolling past the NBA-leading Spurs 110-80 on Monday night.
LeBron James finished with 21 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Heat, who have won three straight and moved two games back of Eastern Conference front-runners Boston and Chicago. Miami lost 125-95 in San Antonio on March 4, the midpoint of a five-game slide that now seems all but forgotten after wins over the Lakers, Grizzlies and the Spurs.
Tony Parker scored 18 points and Tim Duncan added 14 for the Spurs, who had won 15 of their last 18 against Miami.
Lakers 97, Magic 84:
Pau Gasol scored 23 points, Kobe Bryant added 16 while playing on a sprained left ankle, and host Los Angeles roared in the second half for its 10th win in 11 games. … Andrew Bynum had 10 points, a career-high-tying 18 rebounds and four blocks. … The Lakers (48-20) also drew virtually even with the Mavericks (47-19) for second place in the Western Conference standings. … Dwight Howard had 22 points, 15 rebounds and nine turnovers – four more than the entire Lakers squad – for Orlando.
Thunder 116, Wizards 89:
Kevin Durant had a game-high 32 for visiting Oklahoma City. … Kendrick Perkins had nine rebounds in his Thunder debut.
Nuggets 114, Hornets 103:
Ty Lawson scored 23 points and Denver hit 17 three-pointers in New Orleans. …Chris Paul scored a game-high 27 points and had 10 assists.
Grizzlies 105, Clippers 82:
Zach Randolph had 30 points and 12 rebounds to help host Memphis snap a two-game skid. … Blake Griffin was held to eight points and nine rebounds, his fourth straight game without a double-double.
Rockets 95, Suns 93:
Kevin Martin scored 23 in Houston, as the Rockets ended a seven-game skid… Jared Dudley missed a potential game-winning three-point try for Phoenix, which played without Steve Nash.
Jazz 112, 76ers 107:
Led by 30 points from Al Jefferson, Utah pulled out a home victory in overtime.
Nets 88, Celtics 79:
Deron Williams scored 16 points and made the clinching three-pointer for host New Jersey. … Glen Davis posted 16 points and 14 rebounds for Boston. … The Nets have won five straight, their longest win streak in three years.
Briefly:
Bulls forward Carlos Boozer remains day to day even though his sprained left ankle continues to improve. … Portland has signed center Chris Johnson of the NBA Development League’s Dakota Wizards for the rest of the season.

>Lakers give one away against the Heat, 94-88

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Eight-game winning streak ends with poor play down the stretch.The Lakers could have finally wished their fans a Merry Christmas, along with a belated apology for their behavior back in December.
Instead, they gift-wrapped a game Thursday and handed it to the Miami Heat.
The Lakers’ messy last two minutes led to Miami’s 94-88 victory and ended two streaks at once — the Lakers’ eight-game surge and the Heat’s five-game skid.
There was no getting even for a humiliating loss to Miami on Christmas Day after Kobe Bryant committed two late turnovers and missed two long three-point attempts, one from 28 feet at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Bryant wasn’t the only one at fault. Ron Artest missed an open layup attempt with 1:04 left.
Merry March, Miami.
Or as Andrew Bynum said in his own way, “We tricked it, for sure. We definitely had an opportunity to win this game and we gave it away.”
Their game Saturday in Dallas is more important to the Lakers, but this one was taken plenty seriously.
Bryant warned teammates the previous day not to stay out late in always-rocking South Beach and to make sure the game was the focus of their trip to Miami.
He had 24 points on a poor shooting night (eight for 21) and was still angry about it 30 minutes after the game. So he returned to the court and shot a slew of three-pointers and mid-range jumpers as three Heat ball boys fetched rebounds and fed him passes.
His Lakers T-shirt was wet with sweat by the time he finished. He played almost 40 minutes in the game and stayed on the court for more than an hour afterward.
“It’s my job,” Bryant said. “This is what you’re supposed to do if you’re not feeling comfortable with something and you feel like you can tweak some things.”
The game ended feebly for a team that had been playing so robustly, beating Portland, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Atlanta on the road since the All-Star break.
Bryant started it by coughing the ball up to Dwyane Wade, who fed LeBron James for a dunk and 90-88 lead with 1:27 to play.
Then Artest missed his easy shot.
Then Bryant lost the ball out of bounds while going up for a shot down low.
Then he lofted an off-balance, 28-foot, three-point attempt.
By the time the misfires were added up, the Lakers had lost, though Coach Phil Jackson took the blame. As everyone knows, he rarely calls timeouts and often still has one or two in his pocket for end-of-game situations. This time, he called his last one with 46 seconds to play and the Lakers down by four.
“I really took responsibility for screwing up the end of the game,” he said. “I had no timeouts…”
As for Artest?
“I should have made the layup, but they grabbed my arm, I got hit in my head, and then, well, goaltending too possibly, right?” Artest said. “But that’s an excuse, man. I should have made the layup.”
The Lakers initially thought the Heat took the rebound with the ball still in the cylinder but stepped back from their thinking after conferring with their video coordinator.
The Heat couldn’t be happier, ending a five-game losing streak that tugged on the franchise and its celebrated trio of All-Stars.
“This was a very big game and we had everything riding on it,” said Heat forward Chris Bosh, who complained about his touches earlier this week and had 24 points on 10-for-17 shooting Thursday.
James had 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Wade had 20 points.
The Lakers still have a chance to make their four-game trip highly successful. The overachieving Mavericks beckon.

>Tracy McGrady defends work ethic

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Tracy McGrady didn’t hear about his former coach’s criticisms of his practice habits until a reporter asked him about them, but wasn’t unnerved or surprised. 

Jeff Van Gundy said McGrady had Hall of Fame talent, but that he didn’t bring the best effort when the bright lights weren’t on. Van Gundy, who coached McGrady in Houston from 2004-07, said, “I just wish I could have changed (McGrady’s) practice habits and his mentality.”

“It’s what, four or five years ago,” McGrady said. “Jeff is by far my best coach. I’ve always said that and still talk to him this day.”

Van Gundy made his comments last week at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston.

“Tracy McGrady was 1,000 hours of practice,” Van Gundy said. “He should be a Hall of Fame player. His talent was other-worldly. He was given a great leg up in the race against other players. He’s as close as I’ve ever seen to someone with a perfect body and a good mind.”

McGrady, who has carried teams with less-than-elite talent to the playoffs, feels there’s another side to their argument, but kept his cool about the matter.

“Being as I talented as I was and I am, if that’s what he saw, I don’t have anything negative to say,” he said. “I always conserve my energy for games.”

McGrady hasn’t played since coach John Kuester announced all spots would be open and players who practiced well would get the time on the floor. He wasn’t available for comment after the game.

McGrady’s former general manager, Darryl Morey made more pointed remarks about the two-time scoring champion. Morey said McGrady is a product of the AAU system, in which kids are praised for their talent but not pushed to work.

“McGrady was the most gifted player I’ve ever had on the roster,” Morey said. “I do think [his talent] got in the way of Tracy’s development. Much of the game was so, so easy.”

McGrady was drafted as a high school prodigy in 1997, but he didn’t have the quick start of LeBron James. Nor did he turn out as a bust, like Kwame Brown. He went from averaging seven points and four rebounds as an 18-year old to 32, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists as a 23-year old.

After putting in long and hard hours at the gym, where McGrady not only improved his jumper but his body, he’s a little more than slightly annoyed at the sentiment all if his success was simply God-given.

“How can you reach that kind of status if you don’t work hard?” he said. “That’s why I don’t have anything to say about those comments.”

Like everyone else, he hears commentators refer to talented players like himself, James and Kobe Bryant as if they’re superhuman. It’s meant to be the most flattering observation, but guys of his ilk don’t take it as such.

“That’s one thing I heard in my prime, that I made it look too easy,” McGrady said, then appearing slightly annoyed. “They don’t, and I don’t really take that as a compliment. Naw, it’s hard. I worked my ass off and if people don’t believe that, after all the injuries and things I’ve been through, they’re crazy.”

Bereavement leave

Ben Wallace ‘s eldest brother, Rev. James McBride , was buried Saturday in Alabama. McBride died after a lengthy illness and Wallace had taken time off in recent weeks to say goodbye.

Pistons coach John Kuester said he and Wallace exchanged text messages, but he doesn’t know when Wallace will return to the team. Wallace last played Feb. 23 against Indiana.