Heat off to hot start

Dwyane Wade had career highs with 37 points and 12 assists to again overshadow Shaquille O’Neal, and Miami improved to 3-0 for the second time in franchise history with a 118-106 road win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday.

Wade made 11 of 16 field goals, 14 of 16 free throws and outshone the Wizards trio of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Larry Hughes, who combined for 77 points.

O’Neal, hampered by foul trouble and a strained hamstring, scored 13 points in 27 minutes while facing a team that started 6-foot-8 Michael Ruffin at center.

Bobacats 111, Magic 100: At Charlotte, N.C., Charlotte wrestled for rebounds, scrambled after loose balls and outhustled Orlando en route to a home win. Primoz Brezec had 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bobcats. Cuttino Mobley led the Magic with 23 points.

Celtics 107, Knicks 73: At New York, Paul Pierce scored 28 points, Ricky Davis added 20, and Boston shot 56 percent to defeat New York. Reserve forward Michael Sweetney led New York with 18 points.

Pistons 99, 76ers 91: At Auburn Hills, Mich., Chauncey Billups had 20 points and 10 assists, and Richard Hamilton added 17 points, leading Detroit over Philadelphia. Allen Iverson of the 76ers scored 31 points.

Timberwolves 99, Hornets 92: At Minneapolis, Latrell Sprewell ended a quiet night with a flurry, scoring seven points over a two-minute span down the stretch to spark Minnesota over New Orleans. Sprewell finished with 14 points and five rebounds. Kevin Garnett had 29 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for Minnesota. Baron Davis had 21 point and 12 assists for the Hornets.

Pacers 100, Bulls 90: At Indianapolis, Fred Jones hit three 3-pointers during a 19-6 third-quarter spurt, and Stephen Jackson led the way with 24 points and four steals to help Indiana defeat Chicago. The Bulls committed 24 turnovers and made 14 of 42 shots in the second half. Indiana center Scot Pollard was out with a sore back.

Suns 112, Nets 80: At East Rutherford, N.J., Steve Nash had 17 points and eight assists, and Phoenix rode 57.4-percent shooting to its third consecutive victory by beating New Jersey. Richard Jefferson led the Nets with 24 points.

Bucks 102, Cavaliers 88: At Milwaukee, Michael Redd scored 28 points, and Keith Van Horn had 22 points and 14 rebounds in Milwuakee’s home-opening win against Cleveland. LeBron James scored 31 points for Cleveland.

Mavericks 112, Grizzlies 88: At Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki finished with 22 points and 18 rebounds as the Mavericks defeated Memphis for Don Nelson’s 300th win in his eighth season as the Mavericks coach.

Jazz 106, Nuggets 82: At Denver, Carlos Boozer had 30 points and 17 rebounds, and Andrei Kirilenko added 16 points to help Utah defeat Denver and stay unbeaten. Earl Boykins led Denver with 17 points.

Rockets 104, Kings 101 (OT): At Houston, Charlie Ward made two 3-pointers in overtime, and Yao Ming scored 33 points as the Rockets rallied late in their home opener to defeat Sacramento. Mike Bibby led the Kings with 31 points and seven assists.

Clippers 94, Warriors 86: At Oakland, Calif., Corey Maggette had 26 points and six assists, and Bobby Simmons added 22 points to lead Los Angeles past Golden State. Elton Brand had 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Clippers.

Bucks’ Ford still recovering

When T.J. Ford will be healthy enough to play with the Milwaukee Bucks is anybody’s guess.

Ford, the Bucks’ top pick and eighth overall in the 2003 draft, is still recovering from a spinal cord operation that took place May 5. The 6-0 point guard was knocked down going to the basket in a Feb. 24 game against Minnesota. He was carried off the court on a stretcher.

“There’s never been a timetable,” coach Terry Porter said before the Bucks played Cleveland. “He hasn’t been OK’d.”