James helps Heat avoid huge collapse

NBA: LeBron James scored 29 points, Dwyane Wade had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Miami held on to beat host Philadelphia 84-78.

The Heat almost had an epic collapse after leading by 29 points in the third quarter. Led by a hard-charging Lou Williams and Evan Turner, the Sixers sliced Miami’s lead to four points.

James, though, refused to let the lead completely slip away. He hit a pull-up jumper and sank a pair of free throws in the final 90 seconds to help the Heat end a four-game road losing streak. The Heat had lost two straight games overall.

• Blazers win first game after shakeup: LaMarcus Aldridge scored 21 points and Wesley Matthews added 18 as Portland beat host Chicago 100-89, which was without leading scorer Derrick Rose, who missed a second straight game with a strained groin.

One day after trading starters Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby, and firing head coach Nate McMillan, the Blazers hung with the Bulls through three quarters and pulled away in the fourth.

• Spurs close in on Thunder: Tony Parker scored 25 points, Tim Duncan added 16 points and a season-high 19 rebounds, and San Antonio beat host Oklahoma City 114-105 to inch closer to the first-place Thunder in the Western Conference standings. The Spurs are three games back.

Penn State wrestlers far out in front

Wrestling: Penn State has all but wrapped up its second straight NCAA championship, and with a day to spare. The Nittany Lions won all five of their semifinal matches, and have unbeaten top seeds in three weight classes heading into the finals.

Ryan DesRoches (Riverside HS), wrestling for Cal Poly at 174, lost his quarterfinal match 6-1. He won his first wrestleback 5-1 but lost the next 11-2. He will wrestle today for seventh place.

Brian Owen (University HS), wrestling for Boise State, was eliminated when he lost 6-4 in overtime in his second wrestleback.

Manning update: Three teams left

NFL: The Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers remain in the running for free-agent quarterback Peyton Manning.

The year’s top free agent, who has been rehabbing in North Carolina after a string of neck surgeries, threw the football at Duke’s athletic facilities on Friday for Hall of Fame QB and Broncos executive John Elway along with Denver coach John Fox.

A person familiar with the situation said that Manning worked out for 49ers’ coach Jim Harbaugh on Tuesday night at Duke.

The Arizona Cardinals decided to pay quarterback Kevin Kolb the $7 million roster bonus he was due today, ending their pursuit of Manning.

Biffle wins pole at Bristol Speedway

Auto racing: Greg Biffle won the pole for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. He turned a lap of 125.215 mph in his Roush Fenway Racing Ford during qualifying. He is the Sprint Cup Series points leader.

Dufner takes the lead in Transitions tourney

Golf: Jason Dufner, the only player among the top 50 in the world without a win on any tour, has a two-stroke lead after another 66 in the Transitions Championship at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, Fla. Dufner, 0 for 159 on the PGA Tour, was at 10-under 132, two ahead of Padraig Harrington and William McGirt.

• Langer, Clampett, Browne share lead: Bernhard Langer birdied the final hole for a 6-under 65 and a share of the first-round lead with Bobby Clampett and Olin Browne in the Champions Tour’s Toshiba Classic at Newport Beach (Calif.) Country Club.

• Tseng leads Founders Cup: Top-ranked Yani Tseng shot a 2-under 70 to take a one-stroke lead over five players at 9-under 135 after the second round of the LPGA Founders Cup at Wildfire Golf Club in Phoenix. Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., shot a 69 for 143 total and made the cut.

Wisc.-Whitewater, Cabrini in finale

Miscellany: Chris Davis scored 30 points to help Wisconsin-Whitewater beat MIT 71-56 in Salem, Va., in the NCAA Division III men’s basketball semifinals. The Warhawks (28-4) will face Cabrini (31-1), an 81-78 winner over Illinois Wesleyan, tonight in the championship game.

• Nadal, Federer to play in semis: Rafael Nadal outlasted David Nalbandian 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the BNP Paribas Open, setting up a semifinal against Roger Federer. Federer beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-2.

Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka will play No. 2 Maria Sharapova in the women’s final.