Chalmers helps Heat stretch streak to 18
3/11/2013MIAMI — Mario Chalmers scored 26 points, Chris Bosh added 24, and the Miami Heat won their 18th straight game, easily topping the Indiana Pacers 105-91 on Sunday night.
The 18-game streak ties the seventh longest in NBA history and is the league's best since the Boston Celtics won 19 straight during the 2008-09 season. Miami will try for No. 19 when it hosts Atlanta on Tuesday night.
The win also gave Miami (47-14) a victory over every NBA team this season. The Heat lost both previous meetings with Indiana.
Dwyane Wade scored 23 points for the Heat, who controlled the game despite a season-low 13 points from LeBron James. Ray Allen added 11 for Miami.
David West scored 17 of his 24 points in the first half for the Pacers, who fell nine games behind Miami in the Eastern Conference standings. Roy Hibbert scored 15, D.J. Augustin had 14, and Paul George scored 10 for Indiana.
James' previous season-low was 15. He still finished with seven assists and six rebounds for the Heat, who held a 27-15 edge in points off turnovers and finished the game shooting 56 percent compared with 41 percent by Indiana.
Chalmers needed only nine shots to get his 26 points, going 5 for 6 from 3-point range and making all seven of his free throws. He also grabbed seven rebounds, a season high.
Miami led by nine after the opening quarter, the second-largest deficit the Pacers faced after 12 minutes all season. Indiana hardly folded; the Pacers used a 24-14 run to get within two when West scored with 2:57 left before the half. The margin was still only six in the final minute before intermission.
Miami missed its first shot of the second half, then didn't miss another attempt for eight minutes.