O’Neal’s Pacers tip O’Neal’s Heat

Jermaine O’Neal scored 27 points, six of them in the final 3 minutes, and the visiting Indiana Pacers beat the Miami Heat 105-102 on Thursday night despite blowing a 14-point lead in the second half.

Ron Artest added 22 for the Pacers, who have won 13 of their last 14 regular-season meetings with Miami.

Dwyane Wade had 31 points and 10 assists for the Heat, but his attempt at a game-tying 3-pointer rattled out as the final buzzer sounded. Shaquille O’Neal had 18 points and six rebounds before leaving midway through the fourth quarter with a sprained right ankle.

Stephen Jackson’s two free throws with 1:37 left gave Indiana a 103-97 lead, but the Heat answered with five points in the next 29 seconds. Wade hit a 3-pointer and Udonis Haslem put back Gary Payton’s miss with 1:08 left to draw Miami to 103-102.

Jermaine O’Neal made two free throws with 50.1 seconds left, and Miami didn’t score again. Antoine Walker dribbled out of bounds with 29 seconds left, costing the Heat a key opportunity.

Jamaal Tinsley had 13 points, and Austin Croshere and Jackson each had 11 for Indiana. Haslem had 14 points while Walker and Alonzo Mourning each scored 12 for Miami.

Artest scored with 6:34 left in the third, giving Indiana a 73-59 lead. When Shaquille O’Neal picked up his fourth foul 21 seconds later, things looked grim for the Heat.

With Alonzo Mourning in at center and using a three-guard lineup over much of the stretch, the Heat held Indiana without a field goal for the next 9 minutes. The Pacers missed 10 straight shots, allowing Miami to draw to 85-79 when Wade hit a pair of free throws with 9:57 remaining.

Wade blocked a 3-point attempt by Tinsley early in the fourth, and the Heat could have made what was a six-point game closer. But the ball caromed off Wade’s hand to Indiana’s David Harrison, who spun and scored for an 87-79 lead – ending a 0-for-10 skein by the Pacers.

But the Heat kept clawing, using a 14-6 run to tie the game at 93 with 5:00 left. Gary Payton scored and was fouled by Tinsley to draw Miami within 93-92. Tinsley was whistled for a technical, and Wade made that free throw to knot the score – but Payton missed the one that would have put Miami ahead.

Suns 122, Lakers 112: At Los Angeles, Phoenix wasn’t about to blow a big fourth-quarter lead a second time, although it came close.

Shawn Marion had 30 points and 11 rebounds, Steve Nash had 17 assists and 12 points, and the Suns beat Los Angeles.

The Suns, who blew a 17-point lead in the final quarter before losing 111-108 to Dallas in double overtime Tuesday night to start the season, led by 17 with 8 1/2 minutes left in this game.

But the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers got as close as three points before the Suns scored the game’s final seven points.

The game was the Lakers’ home opener, and their first regular-season game at Staples Center since Phil Jackson was rehired as coach.

Jackson received a loud ovation before the opening tip – not long after saying fans attend NBA games to watch the players, not the coaches.

Off the court

Milwaukee will retain general manager Larry Harris through the 2007-08 season. Harris, 42, is in his third season as Bucks general manager and 16th season with the team. The Bucks exercised the 2006-07 option year on his contract and added an additional year. … Denver point guard Andre Miller was arrested on a warrant for failing to appear in court on a traffic citation, police said. Police arrested Miller on Wednesday at the request of the Colorado State Patrol. Miller had gone to the Denver sheriff’s car pound to retrieve a vehicle stolen from him when he was found to have an outstanding warrant. Miller was later released around 4:45 p.m. Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said he believed the citation was for speeding. … U.S. District Judge Dale Fisher on Wednesday ordered Los Angeles Clippers owner and real estate mogul Donald T. Sterling to pay nearly $5 million in fees to plaintiffs’ attorneys in a lawsuit accusing him of discriminating against black and Latino tenants. The case was resolved with a financial settlement that the judge described as “one of the largest ever obtained in this type of case,” though the terms were not disclosed.