National Basketball Association

Bosh explodes in 4th as Heat win 9th straight against Suns

Published Dec. 9, 2014 11:58 p.m. ET

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PHOENIX -- Chris Bosh helped relieve Dwyane Wade's headache Tuesday night.

Bosh scored 10 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, including seven straight down the stretch, and the Miami Heat beat the Phoenix Suns 103-97.

Luol Deng scored 23 points and Wade, dogged by a headache during the game, added 16 for the Heat.

"That was mostly part of the reason I came out aggressive in the second half," Bosh said. "I was going to do it anyway but when (Dwyane) let me know I said I'd see what I can do, get some buckets and get the team going offensively."

Marcus Morris gave the Suns a 91-90 lead with 3:17 to go. But Bosh answered, sinking a 14-foot jumper. He then got a pass from Wade while driving the lane for a layup and made a wide-open 3-pointer with 1:49 to go, lifting the Heat to a 97-91 lead.

"What we did well tonight was stay in the game to the fourth quarter," Deng said. "Lately we haven't been in games in the fourth quarter."

Gerald Green hit an off-balance 3-pointer in the right corner to pull the Suns back to 97-94, but Deng answered with a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession.

"A couple of times they hit 3s in crunch time," Bosh said. "They hit some crucial ones but we answered right back after that and executed with simple plays."

Miami snapped a four-game losing streak.

"There were a couple times they were able to get the lead up to five and, unfortunately, in previous games that tended to go double figures," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "But we were able to execute, stay in the moment and show more toughness that we have in the last handful of games."

Marcus Morris scored a career-high 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting. The reserve was 5 for 6 from 3-point range.

Green added 19, including five 3-pointers, and Markieff Morris had 17 for the Suns.

Phoenix, which was playing its fourth game in five nights, has lost three straight.

"Whether it was the fourth game in five nights, we weren't thinking straight, especially in the fourth quarter," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. "You've got to be able, when you're tired, to really bear down and we just didn't have it there in the fourth quarter."

TIP-INS

Heat: Miami is 9-0 when leading entering the fourth quarter. ... Wade's streak of 11 straight games shooting at least 50 percent ended with a 7-for-15 night. ... The Heat shot 53.8 percent from the floor, a season high for a Phoenix opponent. ... Bosh was 14 of 21 from the floor and had nine rebounds. ... Miami's reserves were 4 of 18 from the floor. ... Thanks largely to Bosh, the Heat outscored the Suns 58-24 in the paint.

Suns: Guard Eric Bledsoe, coming off his first career triple-double on Monday, was held to four points on 2-of-11 shooting. Bledsoe had eight assists and seven turnovers. ... Hornacek went deep into his bench, giving rookie guard Tyler Ennis his first first-half minutes of the season during a five-plus minute stint across the first and second quarters. Ennis had two points and two assists. ... The Suns attempted only nine free throws.

UP NEXT

Heat: Visit Denver on Wednesday.

Suns: Host Detroit on Friday.

ISAIAH NEARING RETURN

Hornacek said guard Isaiah Thomas, who has missed eight straight games with a right ankle contusion, could return on Friday. The Suns had hoped for Thomas to come back against Miami but he was unable to go. Thomas is averaging 15.5 points a game.

FAMILIAR FACE REAPPEARS

Wade is in his 12th season but he's rarely been seen in Phoenix. Thanks to injuries over the past few seasons, Wade was playing in Phoenix for the first time since 2010.