LeBron puts on show with Neymar on hand

MIAMI, FLorida // The defensive effort was closer to Miami Heat standards.

LeBron James – with Neymar in the building to spectate – made it difficult to notice anything but offence.

James scored 33 points on 13 for 21 shooting – with an array of post-up moves getting him going early, then a barrage of 3-pointers fueling a big third-quarter push – and the Heat encountered little trouble on the way to a 118-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.

James scored 17 points in the third quarter, his best 12-minute stretch of the season so far and an indicator that a balky back that slowed him in the season’s first couple weeks is improving.

“It’s getting better,” James said. “It feels a lot better. Still a little sore ... getting a lot of work put on it so I can get to 100 percent. But it’s getting better every day and that’s a good thing.”

Michael Beasley scored 19 points and Mario Chalmers finished with 15 points and seven assists for the Heat, whose biggest victory margin before Tuesday was a 12-point triumph over Chicago on opening night. Chris Bosh scored 10 for Miami (5-3).

Miami played without Udonis Haslem (back) and Ray Allen (ill). Shane Battier started in Haslem’s place.

“It wasn’t perfect,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, whose team was coming off a final-second loss to Boston on Saturday. “There were still some areas we definitely need to improve on, in terms of the details and discipline. But at least the effort, the activity was better, the disposition right from the beginning and it carried through once we got into the rotation. Guys were much more focused and bringing that competitive spirit.”

John Henson and Gary Neal each scored 18 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 11 for Milwaukee – all three of them putting up those points off the Bucks’ bench. Caron Butler was the only double-digit-scoring starter for the Bucks (2-4), finishing with 10.

“They shot almost 60 percent today so there’s no way we can win a game like that,” Henson said. “We just have to get better.”

The Heat have scored at least 100 points in each of their eight games so far, extending the team’s franchise-record for such a start, but what carried much more significance in the collective eyes of the two-time defending NBA champions were the defensive numbers.

Milwaukee shot only 35 percent in the first three quarters, before scoring 33 points against an array of what largely was Heat second- and third-teamers in the final 12 minutes.

“It’s been a long 48 hours in this building, but at least we were able to respond with a better game,” Spoelstra said. “And I think our guys felt better looking each other in the eye in the locker room tonight.”

James gave the Heat a shot of adrenalin late in the half, when he and Chalmers teamed up for yet another entry on Miami’s alley-oop highlight reel. Dwyane Wade grabbed a deflected ball and got it to Chalmers, who drove down the lane against Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton – then simply lofted the ball straight up, knowing James was trailing the play.

The result was predictable. James soared past Middleton for the dunk, the Heat took a 56-45 lead into the half, and the league’s four-time MVP then took over in the third quarter.

“Best player in the world,” the Bucks’ OJ Mayo said.

James 17, Bucks 17 – that was the score in the third quarter, after the Heat star made 6 of 9 shots in the period, including four 3-pointers. He also drove for one particularly emphatic slam, and the 84-62 lead that Miami carried into the fourth ensured he would get the rest of the night off after logging only 30 minutes.

“There were moments were I was very disappointed particularly when people were driving to the basket and we’re moving out of their way,” Bucks coach Larry Drew said. “I will not tolerate that. That will not be accepted, I don’t care who it is. If they’re going to the basket, we’ve got to challenge, we’ve got to foul then and make them earn it from the free-throw line. We can’t be moving out of people’s way.”

OTHER TUESDAY RESULTS

Warriors 113, Pistons 95

Andre Iguodala had five of Golden State’s 13 assists in a near-perfect first quarter as the Warriors built a 19-point lead en route to a dominant victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Guard Stephen Curry poured in 25 points in 29 minutes, and center David Lee contributed 17 points and nine rebounds, helping propel the Warriors (5-3) to their third consecutive one-sided home win of the young season.

Iguodala had eight points to go with a season best-tying 11 assists.

Guard Klay Thompson added 14 points, and center Jermaine O’Neal recorded 17, his best total as a Warrior.

Lakers 116, Pelicans 95

Los Angeles power forward Jordan Hill scored a career-best 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, sparking the Lakers to a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said before the game Hill would start because of his energy. Hill used his frequent bursts of activity and boosted the Lakers on a second-quarter spurt that allowed them to take a double-digit lead and cruise.

The Lakers (4-5) snapped a two-game losing streak and avenged last Friday’s setback to the Pelicans (3-5), who lost their second in a row.

Guard Nick Young scored 17 points and guard Xavier Henry added 15.

Mavericks 105, Wizards 95

Forward Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 points to pass Jerry West on the NBA’s all-time scoring list while pushing his Dallas Mavericks to a victory over the Washington Wizards.

Dallas (5-3) overcame an early nine-point deficit and controlled the game throughout the final three quarters.

Vince Carter scored 16 points and center Samuel Dalembert scored 13 of his season-high 15 points in the first half.

Nowitzki passed West (25,192 points in 932 games) for 16th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list late in the third quarter after draining two 3-pointers.

Nowitzki will soon be bearing down on Indiana Pacers great Reggie Miller (25,279) for 15th place.